Rogue
by Maraya Prower
Summary: When Shadow's work with G.U.N. brings him into contact with Eggman, the Doctor makes him an offer he can't possibly turn down. Will the Rogue he comes into contact with because of his deal with the Doctor be able to help him see the truth about himself and his past? OC Story.
1. Prologue

**Hey and welcome to Rogue!**

**This is my first Sonic and OC fanfic, so please keep that in mind. I don't own Sonic and Co., all credit for them belongs to SEGA.  
**

* * *

Shadow stood silently in the observation room on the ARK, looking at the blue planet below. The view looked so familiar; but he just couldn't figure out why. More of his memory had come back after Black Doom's defeat, but not all of it. There were still things he wanted to know, needed to know, and Black Doom had refused to tell him anything.

And on top of that, Maria had gone missing again. G.U.N. wasn't an option anymore; agency intelligence on her was off-limits to him as of the end of his last mission. He'd had to come to terms with the fact that she was gone, and no one could or would be willing to help him. Not that he'd even want to rely on anyone else, anyway.

"Ah, still here, I see. I figured you would be."

He didn't even bother to turn around; he knew that voice well. It was just one more question that he couldn't figure out the answer to, and it frustrated him. "I know I told you to leave this ARK and never return. I should kill you now for not doing so, Doctor. That was your first and only warning."

"Well, you see, Shadow, I did leave. In fact, I was already back and planning my next scheme when I remembered something. I was, of course, the one who found my grandfather's diary and released you years ago. Those idiots at G.U.N. thought they had been the cause of that, but in reality, I'd been hacking into that system for years, slowly copying and then destroying obscure, unmonitored files. As a result of that, I have the entire record of my grandfather's work from here in the ARK at my disposal. And, as of now, that data no longer exists elsewhere."

"Get to the point, Doctor." Shadow growled.

"Patience, Shadow. I released you in the hopes that I could offer you that information in exchange for some help; unfortunately, they were able to request your assistance first. I don't know why exactly you took that mission, but for whatever reason, you did, and that put a large snag in my plans. That was when I decided it was time to go back to the files. I happened to find something of interest to me, and I do know I have something of interest to you. I think that we can make this situation work out for the both of us. You see, I have come up with a plan so brilliant, so **foolproof**, there's not even the slightest chance that, with your help, anything could go wrong."

Shadow didn't believe that in the slightest. But he'd do whatever it took to get what he wanted. And right now, he wanted those files. "And if I decide not to go along with this?"

"Now, now, Shadow, let's not go into 'or else's. I reward people who help me. My grandfather's diary had much more information on you than your name and 'Top Secret'. And, you know, I would be happy to share if you are willing to help me."

Shadow was caught, and they both knew it. Eggman had definitely come prepared, and he _was_ the only one with those files.

"Done. But make no mistake, Doctor, I will expect you to uphold your end of this agreement. You don't exactly have a good history of that."

Eggman cackled. "Excellent."

* * *

**Short chapter, but they will get longer. :)**

**Until next chapter,  
Rya  
**


	2. Chapter One: Meet the Rogues

**Okay, Chapter 1 of Rogue is here! Sorry for the slow update; if you know me, you know I am pretty darn busy! **

**Amicus - Thank you! I'm still learning the ropes, though! :P  
**

**Raeweis - I'm glad! That means that the chapter turned out pretty well.  
**

**Nomad - You'll find out soon! Thanks for reading! :)  
**

**Blackie - *hugs* Thanks for the support! :D It's chill, though. I'm still working on my writing, and if you see a mistake, I want you to point it out to me; sometimes I get lazy and make simple mistakes that I don't catch.  
LOL, Zap, you always brighten my day! You, Blackie, and the rest of our Ohana!  
Heh. Heh. Buttons. :P  
It's not _really _a cliffy...more like a fuzzy ending...  
:P  
**

**Lord Kelvin - Thank you for reviewing! :)  
**

**Strife - Yep, about time, too! :P I hope you enjoy this chapter!  
**

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**Disclaimer: Due to a lack of creativity, I have decided to follow a classic approach. Sonic and Co. are the property of SEGA; however, the characters Maraya and Rynn Alder, Abriel, Jasmin, Terell, and Raechel are mine.  
**

* * *

"**MARAYA!**"

The aforementioned hedgehog sprinted around the corner and ducked inside a closet as an orange echidna charged by.

"**Get out here, hedgehog! Now!**"

Maraya stifled a laugh with her hand. She was not about to leave this spot anytime soon. He'd had this coming anyway, what with that fake spider in her ice cream two days ago.

"What on Mobius is going on here?"

"Raechel, look at me!" He whined pitifully.

"Oh, goodness. Well, serves you right for that spider."

Maraya couldn't hold in her laugh at that. Immediately, the door was yanked open and she fell out, laughing her butt off. "Rya, that wasn't very nice..." Raechel said, trying to keep a straight face.

"No, it wasn't." Terell, the echidna, echoed. "And seriously? Shaving cream and a feather? How old is that?"

"Doesn't matter. It still works." She looked up at him and started laughing again. "You might want to go and wash your face."

"Or..." Terell reached up and wiped some of the shaving cream off of his face. "We could handle a little bit of payback right now."

Maraya kept on laughing. "You'll have to catch me first!" She hopped up and darted down the hallway, Terell right behind her.

"Huh. You have to wonder if those two will ever grow up."

"Oh, uh, Jasmín..."

"Seriously. Legal adults, the both of them, and they still act like children."

"Jasmín, they're just having a little fun."

"Do you really consider that fun? Looks ridiculous to me, especially since we are supposed to be fighters."

"Well, we are. But there's really no rule that says we can't take advantage of the time in between missions."

Jasmín rolled her eyes. "I can think of better ways to occupy my time. Anyway, we have a briefing today, right?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I mean, uh, just Maraya and Terell."

"You've _got_ to be joking. I was supposed to finally get some field time. She appeal that decision?"

"No, she got a personal recommendation from Jesse. The president requested her specifically."

Jasmín huffed. "I can't imagine why. She's no match for me...or anyone else, for that matter." She inspected her nails. "Not that she isn't a good agent, but I just wonder why it is that she always seems to get the most and best missions."

"I don't think that you give her enough credit, Jasmín. She is a very experienced fighter; she's been with us longer than you, and gotten us out of a lot of bad places."

Jasmín stared at Raechel. "Well, it isn't my fault that G.U.N. took so long to finish up my case. I have probably been out on more missions than she will ever be on. Not to mention that between the two of us, I am obviously the superior agent. I've had more field time and been through more than you rookies have even dreamed of." She flipped her hair. "Little Missy there can't even hold a candle to me. She just seems to think that she's a fine enough agent already and so she'll be able to slide by and do whatever she wants. Well, she's going to learn really quickly that that won't be the case when **I'm **her commanding officer."

"Jasmín, I...I think that you're being a bit unfair...and what do you mean, commanding officer?"

"Huh. I'm just stating the facts, hon. Don't try to defend that girl from the truth. And you didn't hear yet? I'm surprised. She's usually so upfront with you. Agent Alder has submitted an application to be an agent at G.U.N. Her case has been moved up. I do believe she'll be looking at a yes from them soon, and then she'll definitely decide to take the job there, at which point, I'll be her boss. I'll knock that rebellious streak right out of her-teach her how a **real** agent does things."

"There's always the chance that she'll stay with us."

Jasmín laughed mockingly. "Rogue or G.U.N. Agent...what would you pick?"

The girl looked down at her feet.

Jasmín felt terrible for ranting about Maraya to her and for making her doubt Maraya's loyalty, but she wasn't about to show it. She sighed exaggeratedly. "Whatever. At least I won't see her for a few months while she's on this mission. That's a bonus. She'll finally be getting a taste of reality." She turned and left before Raechel could reply, much to her relief. She had a meeting to get to, anyway.

* * *

"I don't know if you know this hedgehog," Ábriel said, sliding a photo of a blue hedgehog over the desk to Maraya, "but apparently, either him or a hedgehog similar to him has been terrorizing Station Square."

"Well, why don't they just bring him in and ask him a few questions, see if things die down?"

"It's not that simple anymore. The exact same thing happened only a couple of years ago, and he _was_ arrested. But he escaped and then recaptured. While they were busy with him, the trouble kept on going, and the president, as well as G.U.N., ended up looking very foolish. They aren't so eager to make that mistake a second time. So they want you and Terell to investigate. They have offered us generous compensation and full use of any and all G.U.N. resources during and for this mission."

Terell sighed, rocking back in his chair. "Well, then I guess they're trying to make it so that we can't say no, huh? If this is a bust, it blows up in our faces and they can deny all ties to this." Ábriel nodded. "So, tell us about this guy."

"His name is Sonic, also known as the 'fastest thing alive'. He's been a resident of Station Square for quite a few years and has a darn good track record for someone his age. His nemesis is a Dr. Ivo Robotnik, most commonly known as Dr. Eggman. Those two, as far as I know, have been fighting with each other for years. Sonic always manages to come out on top. He's 16, and doesn't like a whole lot of attention, but, so I'm told, can be pretty cocky. Apparently, he has a fighting team similar to ours."

Maraya leaned forward a little. "What do you know about them?"

"In the file, Ry, it's all in the file. Anyway, it shouldn't be hard to get in, take a look around. He seems like a very straightforward guy."

"Well, then this should be a piece of cake. I doubt it's him anyway."

Ábriel nodded. "As does the president. Which is why you two will be silent partners. Maraya, you are to investigate Sonic and his crew directly. Terell, you will be doing the same for Dr. Eggman."

"Groovy."

"Sexy."

They looked at each other.

"Groovy?"

"Sexy?"

Maraya shot him a look. "Yes, sexy."

Terell smiled. "Aww, thanks, Ry! I always knew it!"

"Hey, Ábriel, gotta pen? Whenever I see an overinflated buffoon, I feel the need to pop it."

Ábriel shook her head, smiling. "You two. Go on, get out of my office. Take the file with you."

Maraya swiped it off the desk and booked it down the corridor after Terell.

Ábriel looked at Raechel and they both burst out laughing. "You know, Raechel, I never get bored with those two around. It's a wonder how they manage to accomplish anything at all."

Raechel smiled. "I've been on a mission with them before. It's like they change into completely different people; they're really efficient together then. Unlike now."

"Well, at least we know the job will get done. By the way, where is Rynn?"

"Right here." He closed the door. "I hope I'm not interrupting something important."

"Nope. Well, actually, I should have called you here for the briefing. We got a special request for Maraya and Terell. Normally, we don't allow that, but I'm not gonna say no to the president. Jasmín can handle Maraya's assignment, so it looks like you're free for a few months or until another mission pops up."

"So I can take that vacation now?" He joked.

"Actually, yes." Ábriel reached into a drawer, sliding a plane ticket across the desk. "I took the liberty of booking your flight and arranging for your needs, as well as your safari trip." Rynn picked it up, shocked, as Ábriel walked over and opened the door. "Go take some pictures."

"Are you sure? I mean, a ticket like this costs a lot of money..."

"Go, Rynn. Everyone thinks that you deserve this vacation; everyone chipped in."

"Thank you." Rynn's tone was muted, like normal, but his eyes almost glowed. He'd wanted to go on this trip for years, and he was finally getting the chance to go.

"You're welcome. Now, go. We all want you to enjoy yourself. You might want to go see Rya, wish her luck, say goodbye, all that."

"You're right." He waved, then started towards Maraya's room. "Knock knock."

"Come on in!"

He pressed the button on the panel and the door slid open. "Oh, I see you got your ticket. That's great! You of all people deserve a vacation."

"Yeah. I just came to wish you good luck, sis. I'm really nervous that you'll be out on your own this time."

"Eh. I can take care of myself, Rynn. You don't have to look out for me all the time. And I think it's high time that I did go out alone; I can protect myself and I would have been going on a mission alone anyway."

"A much safer one."

She scoffed. "Dude, I'm going to interview and babysit a blue hedgehog. That's not exactly level ten priority there."

Rynn laughed. "And despite that reassurance, I'm still not happy."

"Well, you're just gonna have to get over it, baby bro. I'm going. And you're going." She tucked away her weapons and cash. "Okeydoke, I'm all set. Want me to take you to the airport?"

"Wow, for a moment, I thought you were serious." Both hedgehogs turned to look at Terell, but only Rynn was grinning.

"You know, I did, too. But it's her, it must be a joke."

"Psh. I learned how to drive a getaway car, not a golf cart." Ry scowled. "You wusses probably always drive the speed limit. I like to consider it more of a speed suggestion."

"And you consider yourself law enforcement."

"No, I consider myself equal to or greater than the law." Maraya shrugged. "Besides, a Rogues badge can get you out of pretty much anything."

"Delinquent." All three laughed.

"Well, your driving record aside, I would appreciate a ride to the airport. But only if it won't get you into trouble."

"Nope. We don't start our mission for another few days. She's got time."

Rynn smiled. "Well, then, let's go."

* * *

**~End of Chapter One~**

**Well, I hope that wasn't too bad. The meat of this story is coming up, though, so stay tuned! And don't forget to review! ;)  
**

**Ciao for now,  
**

**Rya  
**


	3. Chapter Two: The Old and The New

**Woo! I finally got the time to finish the chapter I was working on, so now I can update! :D **

**Blackie- Thanks! I'm glad you think so, although writing Jasmin is a bit hard...she can be difficult to control! :P  
You will, you will! And yes, they're all Mobians!  
Maraya: Jealous, hmm? Don't worry, I'm not after your man.*giggles*  
Terell: *facepalm* Ignore her.  
**

**Raeweis- Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**  
**The prank war thing was Maraya's fault. :P You'll hear about some more antics later! And I'm glad my comedy worked! :D**

**Nomad- Yep! :D  
Don't be too quick to hate her...you might actually end up liking her later on... :P  
Maybe...maybe not...you'll find out soon!**

**Strife- I'm glad you liked it! And yeah, I could see that happening between those two! :P  
**

**Amicus- Thanks! And they were supposed to! Rya and Terell are fun to write! :D  
**

* * *

**Sonic and Co. are the property of SEGA. All other unfamiliar characters belong to me.  
**

* * *

The next morning, Maraya and Terell stood near the runway as the jet became a little pinprick on the horizon. "Man, this is so weird. Rynn hasn't been on a vacation since we were little."

"Well, then, I'd say he deserves it."

"I won't argue that. Besides, he needed a break. He was starting to get stressed. His training hasn't been going so well."

"There's a good reason why, though. His problem is that he wants to protect people, but he doesn't like having to hurt others to do that. Ábriel has been choosing missions for him where he has to do that, hoping it will desensitize him a bit."

"It's not working."

Terell nodded. "I know, and I told her that. That's part of the reason she provided for his vacation. It's a little bit of a 'get your head together' thing, but mostly it's her way of apologizing."

"I don't think he was upset with her." They started walking toward the exit of the terminal. Without warning, panicked screams filled the air, and people in the terminal scattered, fleeing away from the exit. In the doorway stood a green robot, smoke rising from the machine gun attached to its arm. It had fired only to scatter the people blocking its scanner, but also hit a small lion in the leg. He lay there shaking, too scared to move.

"Terell, I don't know what to do. I don't know if I can fight it. Not with my weapons, anyway. Or how close I can get."

"Can you get that kid out of there?" Maraya nodded. "Then do that. I'll try to figure out how to fight this thing." Terell leaped forward, Maraya close behind. She grabbed the lion wedding style, carrying him to safety. "Find a first aid kit, call 911." She instructed a security guard. He didn't look too happy about being told what to do.

"Look, lady-"

Maraya rolled her eyes, yanked her badge out and flashed it in the guy's face. "Rogues. Now do it. Thanks." Immediately, the guard ran to go get the kit, while someone nearby called for an ambulance. Maraya grabbed a suitcase and pulled out a t-shirt, then tied it tightly around his leg. "This should slow the bleeding; try not to move too much, kiddo." She ruffled his hair.

Terell wasn't having a whole lot of luck fighting the robot. It was durable, definitely meant to take a beating. But for some reason, it didn't seem too interested in fighting him. Rather than retaliating when he hit it, hard enough to leave a good-sized dent, it knocked him aside and turned as if searching for something. Once Maraya jumped into the fray, though, he had no time to analyze its movements.

"Nothing?"

"Nope. Except that it's not really fighting. Maybe if we could pierce its armor..."

Maraya nodded. "Got it." It'd be stupid to start with a gun. Maybe one of her kunai **would** do the trick. In a flash, she whipped one out and flung it at the robot, slightly disappointed when it bounced off and skittered to a stop at her feet. Then, she got an idea. "Terell! Aim for the joints! Rynn once told me they were the weakest part of any machine."

Terell nodded, then sprang at the robot from the side. A good kick to one of its legs caused it to tilt, revealing a sea of wires. Maraya smiled. Now she could really do some damage. Terell worked busily to keep the robot distracted while Maraya closed in from behind. Without warning, though, the robot swung an arm, sweeping her off of her feet.

Maraya hopped back up, determination etched on her features. She was going to take this thing down. She just had to wait for the right moment...

Finally, the robot swung back to Terell. Maraya ran forward, slashing through the wires on the back of the robot. It powered down, opening with a hiss and releasing a small, blue bird. Terell stared at the bird until it disappeared from his line of sight. "Odd..." He mentally shook himself. "I wonder if G.U.N. could use some of these parts."

Maraya shrugged. "Pick a few important pieces to bring along and then we can go. That's usually what Rynn does, anyway. What should we do with the rest of it?"

Terell waved a hand. "Probably has a self-destruct button on it somewhere. And if not, I can strap a grenade to it. There's no way we'll get all this scrap back. There's just too much of it." He kicked a part of the arm. "Built well, though. This could definitely be of help to us."

Terell worked on the robot for a while, occasionally asking Maraya to hold or hand him tools. Finally, he managed to yank out the battery, which was connected to a hollow glass ball, and the hard drive that stored all of the information the robot contained. "There's not much else worth saving, Ry." He held up the small hard drive. "But at least we'll know what it was after. Really strange design, though. I can't imagine why the battery is connected to this ball. Maybe it'll give us a more efficient way to make some of our own once we figure that out."

Maraya grinned. "Rynn's rubbing off on you."

Terell nodded slightly, smiling as he stuffed the parts in his bag. "Let's get rid of this thing and then go."

* * *

Maraya scoped the area outside the terminal exaggeratedly. "Well, things look relatively normal here," She laughed. "Robots coming out of nowhere. What's this world coming to?"

"I don't know. You all set for Monday?"

Maraya sighed. "Yes, Terell." Sometimes she hated how easily he could shift from Friend Terell to Mission Terell. Their mission didn't even technically start for another couple of days. But she supposed that it was a good thing. After all, Mission Terell was one of the few people who could keep her on task. "Hey, did you look in the file, by any chance?"

"Yeah, why?" His eyes darted around the street.

"Well, I noticed that one of the subjects in there is a guy I know, and I-"

"Is that going to be a problem?"

"Shouldn't be."

Terell ran a hand over his head. "Sorry, Ry. Go on."

Maraya shook her head. "Never mind. It's not important." Terell tried to ask again, but she just looked away.

They kept walking until Maraya noticed that a shadow was moving along the pavement on the other side of the street. Without breaking stride or leaning towards Terell, she whispered, "Terell, call me a bit paranoid, but I feel like we are being followed."

Terell tilted his head the slightest bit. "A shadow? On the right side of the street?"

"Yep."

"Keep walking. Let's see how long they follow us."

The pair continued walking for another ten blocks, even turning a couple of corners, but the shadow stayed with them. When they reached a nearly empty street, though, it suddenly disappeared.

Maraya was the first one to speak. "I don't get nervous about things like this a lot, but this seems way too strange after that robot, Terell."

"It's fine. We're not alone-there's people up and down this street."

Maraya sighed. "I just don't like it. Something feels a bit off to me."

"Hey." He grabbed her shoulders. "We start our mission in a couple days. Go back to base, relax, chill. I've got some digging to do on Eggman." He nodded, then turned and started walking away. Almost immediately, she noticed the shadow reappear across the pavement. And lift something that looked like a gun. "TERELL! MOVE!" Both of them broke into a sprint, rounding a corner and stopping for cover inside an old, crumbling building.

"Believe me now?" Maraya looked down and groaned. "I knew I shouldn't have worn these shoes today. High heels are not good for these kinds of situations."

"Not the time, Ry." Terell peered out of the doorway. "Whoever it was, they're gone again."

"You wish they were gone." A hedgehog stepped out from behind them, still slightly hidden by the shadows of the building. His fur was ebony black with a few red stripes, and his eyes were a crimson red. He lifted his gun. "I'm Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. Now come quietly and I won't have to hurt you."

Inwardly, Maraya smirked. He should know better than that. Like **any** Rogue who made it through training would ever surrender without a fight first, whether on a mission or not. That name sounded familiar though...Shadow...

Turning her thoughts back to their current situation, she laughed. "Well, Shadow, I'm afraid that's not going to happen."

"If you weren't aware before, I'll make this clear. **I'm** the one with the gun. So I suggest that you do what I say if you don't want to get hurt."

Maraya and Terell glanced at each other. "Sorry to disappoint, but no." Maraya spun to use a pillar for cover while Terell jumped out of a broken window and took off down the street.

"Huh. Some partners you are. He just left you here all by yourself."

"Meh. I don't need a babysitter. I can watch myself." Shadow's respect for her went up a little as he heard her cock her gun. _So she wasn't totally helpless, Doctor_...

"But I don't recall seeing your partner either. Maybe you and I just aren't the partner kind of people." Shadow's nearly silent chuckle was drowned out by three rapid shots fired in his general direction. Caught by surprise, he dived to the side, smashing his shoulder into a wall.

Maraya dashed out of the doorway and followed Terell down the street, sliding her Colt back into its holster. Ahead of her, he took a sharp right, so she guessed that he intended for her to run in and catch up. Ducking low, she sprinted down the street and followed Terell into the alley.

"He saw me come in here. We can't stay long."

They both looked up, then at each other. "Fire escape."

The two of them took the stairs two and three steps at a time at full speed. "We need to decide where to go." Maraya panted. "Running around with no definite plan won't help us." She glanced at the bag on his back. "You should probably drop those parts."

"I need to get these back. They're not really that heavy." He looked around. "Well, we don't have very many options. We can't go back to base; that's not an area that we lead anyone to. We can't go too far back into the city since we're technically on contract, and the last thing that we'd want to do anyway is put civilians into a dangerous situation."

"We need to get down from here." Suddenly, Terell covered her mouth. He pointed to the street, where they could see Shadow trying to spot them. Maraya nodded and they flattened themselves against the roof.

"There's a building behind us that is slightly lower than this one." Terell whispered almost silently. "A fire escape connects that building to the next street over. If we can drop something and keep his attention directed toward that alley, we might be able to make it back to G.U.N. headquarters."

"It's worth a shot." Maraya whispered back. "But what will we drop?"

Terell gestured to a pile of trash bags by the door leading into the building. The two of them quickly grabbed a bag each and dropped them behind the building. Sure enough, a few seconds later, they heard his footsteps. Maraya hopped onto the next roof right after Terell, and they climbed down from the roof, landing quietly on the concrete.

"You're good; I'll give you that. But you're obviously no match for me. I'll give you five seconds to come out of there before I start shooting." Shadow's voice called from the mouth of the alley they were in. "Five...four...three...two..."

The two of them ran back and took cover behind one of the dumpsters.

"One." True to his threat, Shadow began firing blindly into the alley. The two of them decided to take a chance and get to cover farther away, but one of the bullets hit Terell in the leg and he collapsed.

She dragged him the rest of the way as the gunfire continued.

"Holy sh-"

"That won't help right now, Terell!" Another shot was fired, denting the side of the dumpster they were behind. "I'm gonna try to lead him away from you." She grabbed his wrist communicator, slamming the distress call button. He tried to grab her wrist, but she yanked away. "I gotta go. Now." She bit her lip, yanking her hoodie off and pressing it to his wound. "Try to stop the blood flow."

Pulling her pistol from her belt, she fired off a shot, just managing to graze the hedgehog's arm. _Beautiful. _She burst out of the alley and sprinted in the opposite direction, away from Terell. Her idea had been perfect; he was coming after her now. She just had to get a little farther...

A bullet whizzed past her, lodging in a wall near her head. She turned a corner, just able to see the desert beyond Station Square. She had to get there, or whoever was behind her was going to kill her.

Out of nowhere, though, Shadow yelled, "Alder!"

She tensed and turned, shocked to see that he had grabbed a little rabbit and was holding his gun near her head. "Drop your gun or she dies." Finally, it clicked. He'd been after her all along. Though it went against every instinct she had, she wouldn't let the little girl get hurt. The jerk would pay for threatening a little girl, though. She clicked the safety on, dropping the gun and moving her hands behind her head. He kept his pistol trained on her until he was next to her, but that didn't stop her from fighting back once he couldn't grab the little rabbit again. She kicked him in the stomach, then got in a solid punch to his face that knocked him flat on the ground and took off running again.

Shadow growled in frustration. This was not going how it was supposed to go. He should have already been back by now. He was reasonably sure that she was unarmed now, though, so when he caught her, bringing her back to the Doctor wouldn't be difficult. That is, if he didn't kill her first. The stupid girl probably thought she could rival him. Well, she'd soon learn otherwise. He got to his feet and rocketed off behind her.

Maraya was running for all she was worth. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins with every slap of her feet against the pavement. In fact, if she weren't running for her life, she would probably be having fun.

She heard him just before he tackled her, and the two of them rolled a couple of times before stopping next to the curb. Maraya knew that she didn't stand a chance since he was physically stronger, but she kept struggling. She kicked him in the head and managed to get a few steps away before he caught up with her again, this time kicking the back of her knees to bring her down and pistol-whipping her.

Stunned, Maraya tried to get up again only for her arms to give out. But she was far from giving up. She lay there for a few seconds, slowing her breathing before sitting up shakily.

He could see that she was going to try and run away again, so Shadow decided to end the chase. He pulled her up quickly, further disorienting her. Twisting her arm behind her back painfully, he held up a green emerald. "Chaos Control!" They vanished from the empty street.

* * *

Amy ran forward and scooped up Cream. "Hey, hey. It'll be alright. You're okay. You're safe now." She held the shaking Cream close and started back to Tails' workshop.

_I guess I have to tell Sonic that Shadow is back..._

* * *

**Cliffy! Kindasorta...**_  
_

**Anyways, let me know what you thought!  
**

**Ciao, now!  
Rya  
**


	4. Chapter Three: Puzzles

**I'm baaaack! :P And I brought more words with me! :D Thanks to all who reviewed!**

**Amicus: Ehh...I guess so. Technically. But I didn't plan it, I swear!  
And thanks, cuz I'm not so sure about writing action scenes...  
**

**Nomad: Oops, I did something wrong...hopefully this will straighten it out!  
And Shadow's thing will be explained in time...  
**

**Strife: Lol, I guess he is, but only this once! :P  
**

**Blackie: He had to! I'm sorry! *cowers*  
She does deserve a medal!  
Maraya: *shrugs* You have to work really hard to ignore _me_, Sierra.  
Terell is going to be...*glares from Terell, Maraya, Raechel, Jasmin, Abriel* Y'know, I see what you go through now...  
**

**Disclaimer:  
Please, Terell?  
Terell: "No."  
Me: "Why won't you just read it?"  
Terell: "Because it reminds me every time I read it that you own me. Am I not good enough to be a SEGA character? I may not be Sonic or one of his friends, who actually belong to SEGA, but I think Maraya, Rynn, me, Abriel, Raechel...heck, all of your OCs deserve a little game time."  
Me: -3- "That'll do."  
Terell: *wide-eyed* "Dangit."**

* * *

"...and then he grabbed Cream and threatened to shoot her if she didn't drop her gun." She stopped, thinking. "I don't think he even realized he was holding Cream. Anyway, the hedgehog dropped her gun, he put Cream down and started towards her. She punched him square in the face and then ran off. Shadow hopped up and followed her. The last we saw of them, they were rounding a corner heading for the old business district."

"Hmm...that doesn't exactly sound like Shadow. And doesn't he work for G.U.N. now? Why would he go after someone unless they were a criminal?"

"Sonic, it _was_ him! And she didn't look like a criminal; she had to have been walking around in broad daylight with her weapons displayed before he started chasing her. Any number of police officers could and would have tried to stop her if she was a threat. I don't think he's with G.U.N. on this one. And whatever he took her for, it can't be good."

Sonic sighed. "What did she look like again?"

"She was all black, with her hair back in a ponytail and bright blue highlights in her bangs. And I'm not completely sure because I was so far away, but it looked like her eyes were different colors."

Tails' mouth fell open. "I know her! That's Maraya!"

Sonic shrugged. "You don't really know that."

"It has to be her! There's not very many black hedgehogs here. And she's the only person I know with highlights like that!"

"I'm still not sure."

"Actually, come to think of it," Amy started, "he called her Alder."

Tails nodded. "I'm sure of it now. Alder's her last name."

"How do you know her, Tails?"

"We became friends when I was little. She and her brother used to invite me over to play with them all the time. She didn't mind that I had two tails-in fact, she told me that I was lucky, because everyone is given things for a reason, and I had a special trait that no one else had. I remember my first day of school, I walked in with her. One kid said something about my tails and she punched him off the swings at recess. She's always been a fighter. In fact, she joined a fighting team straight out of high school. She's been with them for almost a year, but she knew the others long before now."

"You guys are really close?"

"Well, kinda. We stopped talking for a couple of years. One day she was there, then the next, she kind of just disappeared. She contacted me about a week ago, saying she wanted to see me again. We were supposed to meet today."

"So that explains why she was **here**, but why would **Shadow** want her?"

"Don't know, not my problem. Or yours." Sonic replied. "I think I'll go for a run." He got up, but Cream blocked his path.

"Mr. Sonic, I don't think you're being nice or fair. If she needs your help, you're supposed to go give it to her. Mr. Shadow could have hurt me and you weren't there to do anything about it. But she was, and she put herself in trouble so that I would be okay. So you have to help her. And if you won't, I will."

"What do you expect to do?" Sonic's voice was definitely less cocky now.

"Whatever she can to help." Tails replied. "And so will I."

"All right." Sonic agreed reluctantly. "We'll go check it out. Starting with G.U.N. headquarters."

* * *

The Guardian Units of Nations building was one of the more prominent city buildings, and it sent a clear message: We're not afraid of anything; come at us. Inside, however, security was so tight the Sonic crew had trouble getting past the front desk. And Sonic was starting to get annoyed.

"I've saved the world multiple times and I **still** have to explain to _**five people**_ why I should be let in to see _**one agent**_?!" Sonic yelled angrily at the intern behind the front desk. "If the world were in danger, I'd be the first person you came to! And would you expect to have to wait in line to talk to me? No, you'd want me to be there as soon as you called!" Amy, Cream, and Knuckles looked on, amused, as he furiously stomped away. Tails stepped up to the counter.

"Maraya Alder. That's who I'm looking for. It's very important that I find her. I know you guys have information on her, or we wouldn't have come."

"Of course we have info on Agent Alder. We just need to know who you are first." A smooth voice answered from behind him. The intern's face filled with relief as they turned to face the panther who had entered the room. "Well?"

"I, uh, I'm Tails, and-"

"I'm Sonic. Tails here is looking for some hedgehog named Maraya." The panther eyebrows quirked when he said his name, but she turned her attention to Tails.

"Tails, hm? Is that your real name?"

Tails seemed a bit uncomfortable. "Well, no. Maraya knows me as Miles Prower. She never knew my nickname."

"And that's what I was looking for. I'm Jesse." She shook Tails' hand. "I'm a friend and colleague of Maraya's. I just wanted to make sure you weren't trying to kill her. It's happened to her several times before with several officers." She swiped her key card on the scanner by the elevator. "If you'll all come with me to my office, we can talk."

They all rode up on the elevator, and once everyone was situated, Jesse began talking. "I feel like I know you already, Tails. Maraya's told me so much about you." She smiled, then her face became serious. "I'm afraid the news I have for you isn't good news, though. Tails, Maraya was scheduled to be sent out on a mission in a couple of days. I guess she wanted to see you before she left. She and her partner were sighted walking through the city yesterday afternoon. Apparently, they were chased by a hedgehog resembling your friend Sonic."

"Well, it couldn't have been him; Tails and I have been with him." Knuckles stated.

Jesse nodded. "Nevertheless, they were being chased, and, unfortunately, Maraya's partner was shot during that. According to him, she retaliated and managed to get the hedgehog away from him, but never returned." She shook her head. "They were less than five blocks away from this building. I don't doubt that she's alive; we just haven't been able to find her. She hasn't been seen or heard from for hours, and we have no idea what's going on or who is behind this yet."

"Do you know who it was?"

"We believe we know who took her, but I am not at liberty to give that information away. It's an agency issue. And, like I said, we believe they were acting on the orders of someone else."

"And you don't have any way of finding her?"

"There was one, but we don't know what happened. We were using her wristwatch communicator to track her. Just as we were zeroing in on the coordinates, though, the signal died. She's somewhere out in the desert."

Sonic spoke up. "Well, she's kinda important to Tails, so we'd like to help you find them both. Her and the hedgehog who attacked her."

"Well, I can't give you clearance for that. I'm not her commanding officer; none of us are. She's a Rogue. We hired her to investigate something, but the mission didn't officially start until Monday. Neither did my power to use our resources to search for her." Jesse stood up. "If you all are offering to help find her, you'll need to speak to Commander Montez. She's the Rogues' leader. I'll get in touch with her for you." The others stood up to leave the office. "Just one more thing." Tails looked back to see that Jesse's face had gone very soft, and her eyes held the slightest hint of fear. "Keep me in the loop. Maraya's very important to me."

Tails nodded with a small smile. "Bye, Jesse."

* * *

Maraya sat up slowly, feeling a bit dazed. She guessed that she'd passed out after Shadow hit her again when she'd made a second escape attempt last night. She didn't blame him. For whatever reason, she was his prisoner, and a decent agent never gave a prisoner the opportunity to escape. That didn't mean she wasn't going to try again. It just meant that she wasn't going to hold a grudge because he'd done his job.

She looked around as her vision began to clear, noting that the room she was in was pretty bare, a cot, desk, and chair, all bolted down, the only furnishings. A light hung overhead, fortunately controlled by a switch inside the room. The door would doubtlessly be locked, but no keyhole meant it was controlled by an electronic, computerized system. There'd be no telling how long she'd be kept here. But at least she had her watch. Sometimes simply knowing when it was day and when it was night was a comfort. She decided to look around, but to her disappointment, the drawers on the desk were locked and the closet was empty. Even the bar to hang things on had been taken out. She smirked. Did they really think she was that much of a threat that they kept everything she could possibly use as a weapon away from her? Seriously? She had handcuffs on! She looked down, then laughed to herself. They'd taken everything out of the room, but she still had the majority of her real weapons. Including the heels on her boots.

Without warning, the door to her room slid open and Shadow stepped inside. "Come with me."

Maraya rolled her eyes. Either he was trying to intimidate her or he just didn't have a clue. He'd shot her partner and kidnapped her. She wasn't in complete control of the situation, but he should know better than to simply expect her to obey him without a fight. Especially considering what he'd done to even get her here. She needed a little information, though, so she'd play along. For now, anyways.

Shadow was on his guard. He'd expected her to be ready to jump him as soon as he walked through that door. But whatever. If she wasn't going to pull any stunts, that just made his mission easier. He watched her carefully as they went down the hall. She didn't even seem the smallest bit scared. Ether she'd been through something like this before or she just wasn't easily intimidated. He figured it was a combination of the two.

Finally, they reached the main room. Maraya coughed as the door slid open, disrupting a mountain of dust. She carefully picked a spot over by the window and brushed away the dust that covered it, sitting down with her legs crossed. "How long has it been since this place was last touched?" Maraya asked as she looked around. "It looks a bit...neglected."

Shadow shrugged disinterestedly. If she was looking to get some conversation out of him, she was going to be disappointed. He had no reason to talk to her, so he wouldn't. Besides, she was still making him nervous. She'd been separated from her partner and the world for a while now, and was acting as though this were all routine. Most people in her situation would be freaking out about now. Her? She was calm. Way too calm.

And that put him on edge.

"You got anything to clean with? I can't sit long in a dirty place. Terell..." As soon as his name came out, she could feel the anger flowing through her. She turned away before she did something stupid, like attack him.

Shadow stared at her. That glare she'd shot him had held rage he'd never thought could come from her. She'd been so unruffled up to now that anger seemed out of her character. He felt much more comfortable when they fell into silence again.

Maraya broke the silence a second time, much calmer than she'd been a few seconds ago. Terell and Rynn were always trying to tell her she needed to control her temper. "So, you mind telling me a few things?"

"Yes."

"Unfortunate." She shifted again. "I really just want to know why I'm here. I personally can't have anything that you'd want on me." A few moments of silence passed. "Come on, Shads."

He gritted his teeth. "Don't call me that."

"Well, I'm gonna find you a nickname. It has to be done. I won't just call you Shadow."

He was trying to keep his frustration in check. "Is this normal for you? You do this to everyone?"

Maraya giggled. "Yep, pretty much. Well, actually, I guess not. But then again..."

He glared at her.

"Come on, dude, don't be like that. We're gonna be roomies for a while-"

"Don't remind me."

"-so you might as well get used to talking to me." She paused, looking away. Low, so low he knew he wasn't supposed to hear it, she whispered, "I'm not so bad, am I?"

Feeling guilty, Shadow decided to ignore that, but fortunately for him a familiar voice filled the room, keeping him from having to answer or sit in an awkward silence-not that he was happy to see the person who owned the voice.

"Ah, you're back. Miss Alder, I presume?"

"Agent Alder." She almost laughed. Trying to intimidate her by using her name had to be the least likely way to get her cooperation. Clearly the first thing you did before kidnapping anyone is learn their name. These two had obviously never dealt with someone like her before; messing with them would be fun.

"Very well, Agent. I am Dr. Eggman. I suppose you're wondering why I brought you here."

"Naturally."

"Good. As you probably know, I have come up with many schemes both to conquer this planet and eliminate my nemesis, Sonic the Hedgehog, all of which, up to now, have failed. Simply put, I'm growing a bit weary of all of my plans failing. So I came up with the brilliant idea of letting someone else have a go at it. It's not you I'm after at all. It's your brother I need. Unfortunately, I was not going to be able to get to him directly. No one would suspect my real target if I went after you first. I plan to use you to lure him here, and then use his technical skill to complete the plan I've created." He stepped closer and held out a hand. "There's only one thing I need to get started. Your watch, please."

Without hesitation, Maraya unclasped it, threw it to the ground, and ground it into pieces beneath her high-heeled boot. "You think I would help you with that? You'll **never**get to my brother through me." Her voice was emotionless, but inside she was furious. There wasn't much holding her back from killing him. Except Shadow. And she wasn't sure that he'd be enough.

"Sooner or later, girl, sooner or later. There are ways to get him here. And whether you like it or not, I can and will use you."

"You'll never find him! And if you ever so much as touch him, I'll kill you where you stand!" Maraya jumped at him, pulling a stiletto from her ankle sheath. Without warning, Shadow appeared beside her and knocked her back across the room, the knife skittering across the tiles. He grabbed her arm to keep her away from Eggman, but she continued to fight his grip, blinded by rage.

Eggman's laughter as he left the room made her even angrier. She yanked out of Shadow's hold and whirled on him. "Don't. Ever. Touch. Me. Again. And stay out of my way!"

This, Shadow could deal with. "You're not in a position to be making any demands."

"Does it look like I care? That man is going to die!" Maraya started for the door again, only to be blocked by Shadow. She was on the verge of exploding.

* * *

"_Rya, you get angry way too easily." Rynn teased. "All Terell did was put a water balloon in your computer chair; you should have noticed it before you sat down."_

"_But Rynn..."_

"_No 'but's, Ry. Prank wars are supposed to be fun." He laughed. "Try this. Next time, before you get mad, close your eyes. Count to ten. Take a step back and really think about what's going on, what you're feeling and what you're about to do. And if you open your eyes and you still feel the same way, _then_ you can go kill Terell. Okay?"_

_Maraya's laugh echoed Rynn's. "Okay. Now I've got an echidna to deal with."_

* * *

Maraya opened her eyes, considerably calmer than she'd been a few seconds ago. _Thanks, Rynn._ She took a deep breath, then focused on Shadow. "That knife wasn't supposed to be there, you know. You disarm your prisoners for that exact reason. I could have cut you both down." She paused to pick up the knife and slide it back into its sheath. "Speaking of which, how's your arm?"

"Look," Shadow growled, ignoring her question about his arm. "I'm no rookie. I know exactly what I'm doing. And I didn't disarm you on purpose. You're no threat to anyone here, even when you're angry." He scoffed. "And you can drop the act. A good performance won't get you anywhere here."

That set her off. "Look. I care about my family-a lot more than you seem to think I do, and quite obviously more than you do about yours. I would kill for my family and I would die to save my brother. Maybe you don't understand that, because you don't seem to think about anyone but yourself." Shadow's hands balled into fists. "There are a lot of people out there who truly care about each other. My friend Mary Dawson almost died to save someone she loved." Maraya's mouth snapped shut as his eyes narrowed and he took a step closer to her. She'd jumped in it deep now. She'd promised Maria she'd keep her safe. And Rynn that she'd keep her mouth shut. So much for that. The best thing for her to do now was to keep her mouth shut, no matter what happened. She'd never let anyone hurt Maria again.

"What was that?" Mary Dawson was Maria's alias. The Doctor had mentioned that she was going on a mission. If that mission was tracking down Maria...and he couldn't protect her since he didn't know where she was... "I know who you are talking about. You'd better tell me how you know her. Now."

Maraya's lack of response infuriated him. She knew something that he wanted to know, and he would force it out of her if it killed her. In one smooth motion, he grabbed her by her throat, pinning her against the wall. "**How do you know her**?"

She shook her head. "I won't tell you." She choked out.

He slammed her against the wall again, her head bouncing off the metal. "If you want to live, you'll tell me." His voice was eerily calm.

"No." Maraya's voice was garbled, but determined. "I'd rather die than betray her!"

"Just remember you made that decision." Shadow tilted his hand up, cutting off her air supply.

* * *

**Cliffay! **

***scared* Don't hate me! Or Shadow! I promise, there's more to the story!**

**Until next time,  
Rya  
**


	5. Chapter Four: To Find A Hedgie

**I'm here again! And with still more words! Although I feel bad because I seem to be creating a ton of hatred for Shadow! :P We all knew he had problems, I'm just the one writing about them! XD Thanks to everyone who reviewed and is reading! :) I know you're there, even if you don't review, and it keeps me motivated. So the next update will be an unofficial FanFiction Lurkers Day!...at least on this story! :P**

**Chaos: Lol, Sonic was a bit out of character, I'll admit. And there's always problems where Shadow's involved! :P  
**

**Nomad: Yeah, she is. Stubbornness runs in her family! :P And thanks!  
**

**Blackie: But it's for the best after all...the reader will read it eventually! :P  
Maraya: *smirks at Zap* Hey, Sierra. Hey! Wait! Listen! Hey! Wait! Listen! HEY! SIERRA!  
Me: Yes, please, don't hate him. Or kill him. I need him to finish the story. *remembers fourth wall, swears*  
Yeah.. I should get her profile up. And I was going for Sonic giving Shadow the benefit of the doubt. Not being lazy. Like people we know. :P  
Me: Aww, Zap! Do we need to start a fanclub for Terell for you? :P  
**

**Amicus: Terell: I didn't think so.  
Me your opinion doesn't matter. Thanks, Amicus!  
Great, I'm glad you're enjoying it! And it's not _really_ a cliffy. Technically.  
**

**Strife: And it is _hard_ to write an dark, angry Shadow. :P I alternate between loving him and hating him when I write! XD Your review tilted me back into love, we'll see how I feel tomorrow! LOL!  
**

**Disclaimer:  
**

**Me: "Your turn, Jasmin!"  
Jasmin: *takes paper, crumples* "Like I need a script."  
Me: "Well, fine then."  
Jasmin: "Sonic and Co. belong to SEGA, not to Rya. As I wish I did. Unfortunately, myself and my Rogue colleagues belong to her. Which is proof that Karma works."  
Me: "Go away."  
Jasmin: "With pleasure." *leaves*  
Me: "Yeah, yeah, like SEGA'd ever want her worthless butt. She'd end up like the _Babylon _Rogues." *pauses* "Hey, wait a minute...!" *smiles, gets phonebook* "Serta, Sonic, Sam's Club...Ah! SEGA!" *dials number*  
**

* * *

Despite knowing that she was wasting oxygen, Maraya couldn't help but struggle. She thrashed wildly, managing to kick him several times. The pain registered on his face, but his grip didn't loosen, and the anger definitely still remained. The edges of her vision slowly started to darken, but she was determined to fight it.

Shadow's rage increased with each second, so much so that he could barely feel the hits she was getting on him. She was just one more person out to to keep the truth from him. His fingers tightened. _He wanted answers_. Then, he registered what she'd said. _Betray her..._

He yanked his hand away, and Maraya fell to the floor, coughing.

"I don't know what game you're playing, but you won't win. You're at a serious disadvantage." He laughed mockingly. "Perhaps when the Doctor's done with your brother, I'll get a little revenge myself."

Maraya's eyes were clearly tired, making him feel guilty. Again. But as soon as he mentioned her brother, the weakness was gone, replaced by a look that told him he wasn't going to like what was coming next.

"I'm going to be as nice as I can, despite the fact that you threatened my brother, simply because that's always what he wants me to do." She stood up, looking him straight in his eyes. "You don't want people to be afraid of you. You don't want them to see you as a monster. And I don't. You're in this mess, you're doing all of this, for a reason. I get that. You wouldn't do something like this, or put up with that man, unless you had a very strong personal motive. And whatever it is, that's what seems about as important to you as my brother is to me." Her eyes narrowed. "You do what you need to do. But don't you dare threaten me or my family. I'm not weak or helpless, and I will not let you walk all over me simply because you believe you can. I do believe I proved that point yesterday. And if you need a refresher, I'll be happy to oblige."

Shadow was completely taken by surprise. Not once, in all the years he'd worked with G.U.N. or the Doctor, had someone other than the Faker and his friends stood up to him. They'd all run or do what he said for fear he would harm them. This girl was alone, a prisoner, and she still talked back. He could have killed her a minute ago, and they both knew it. But she hadn't even mentioned that; all of her concern was for her brother, and oddly enough...him. He was really confused now.

"Stupidity and bravado won't get you anywhere with me. I have more important things to concern myself with than babysitting a hedgehog who can't understand the concept of reality. Here's a little lesson for you now: I'm getting tired of you acting like you're in control here. You're not. Make no mistake-I could kill you now and not have to worry about you talking back or causing trouble."

"And where would that get you? You'd lose your hostage!" Even though she'd been determined to keep her temper, she could feel the frustration bringing it back. "Something has been bothering you for a long time, way before I was ever here! Don't think for a second I'm going to roll over and let you take that out on me! You don't have to carry whatever burden you've got on your shoulders alone! **YOU make that choice**!"

Shadow was literally starting to see red. Grabbing her arm hard enough to leave a bruise, he started to drag her down the hallway. "I'm taking you back to your cell." He answered her unspoken question. "Before I decide to murder you." He threw her into the room, locked the door and went to go destroy something, her words still reverberating in his mind.

Back in her cell, Maraya rubbed her arm. "Well, that could have gone a little better."

* * *

Ábriel strolled into the meeting room where Raechel sat with the Sonic Crew. She was glad that someone had come to help. G.U.N. didn't seem too eager to find Maraya, and that was personally frustrating for her. She'd lost one of her best agents, and the leading defense and intelligence agency had given her nothing to work with, despite prior assurance that they would have full G.U.N. cooperation. Of course, that was **before** she disappeared.

"I'm Montez." She strolled around her desk and sat down. "You're interested in helping us track down Maraya?"

Tails nodded. "It won't be easy getting to her, though."

Ábriel smirked. "Well, we knew that from the beginning. Maraya's never once disappeared unless it was part of a plan. No one's ever been able to catch her, and she puts up a darn good fight if they even come close." She laughed. "G.U.N.'s been trying to recruit her for years for that very reason."

"Well, we came here because we think that we know where she is and who has her now."

"Who is it?" They all looked toward the door. Terell stood there, dangerously calm. "I'll murder them. And the hedgehog who took her." His voice was quiet.

Abriel shook her head. She hadn't meant for him to be here, but there was no going back now. "Terell, this is the Sonic Team. Sonic Team, Agent Terell Stevens. He was with Maraya yesterday."

Terell walked fully into the room, stopping in front of Tails. "Miles Prower?" Tails nodded. "Ry's told me a lot about you. So has Rynn." He sat in a chair across from Ábriel.

"Well, since you're here, Terell, you can tell us what happened to you. It'll give us some clues and I can work on your part of the report." She pressed a button, beginning to record their conversation.

Terell nodded. "We were walking from the airport. We'd just dropped off her brother when a robot appeared out of nowhere in the terminal. Maraya and I worked it over and finally managed to defeat it. I salvaged a couple of parts before we destroyed it, and she thought it would be a good idea to take them to G.U.N. for analysis." He cleared his throat. "Ry noticed a shadow on the other side of the street as we were on our way there and got a little suspicious, so we started moving to see if we were being followed, which we were. He lifted a gun, we took off. Civilian casualties are not a good thing. He kept up with us, God knows how, and shot me as we re-entered the main city streets. She pressed my distress button; she knew I'd never do it myself." He smiled darkly. "She got a hit on the guy before she ran off. I catch him, I'll do much worse."

"I'll omit that last sentence from the formal report for your sake." Ábriel turned to Sonic. "Anything you all want to add?"

Amy awkwardly raised a hand. "I was around the corner when she came by. I guess that's just after she left you." She nodded to Terell. "The hedgehog's name is Shadow. He tried to use my friend, Cream, to get her cooperation. He put her down before trying to get closer, and she knocked him flat on the ground, even though he had his gun out. Then she disappeared, and he followed her. I told Sonic this morning, and we went to see about Maraya earlier today."

Ábriel switched off the recorder. "And I thank you for that. G.U.N. wasn't even going to consider her a missing person for another 48 hours." She scoffed. "Leave it to our wonderful government security agency to only care when it's costing them money. When her contract comes into effect, **then **they'll care, you just watch." She shook her head. "So, what do you have to go on?"

"Well," Tails started, "like Amy said, we're pretty sure the guy who took her is Shadow the hedgehog. But we don't think he kept her. He only does things that benefit him, and since he's not with G.U.N. on this, we thought he might be taking her to someone else. We weren't sure who until we went to G.U.N. this morning and Jesse told us that they'd tracked her wrist cuff as far as the desert. And there's only one person we know who has a base out there."

This time Sonic spoke up. "Eggman."

Ábriel didn't act visibly convinced, but inside she was slightly shocked. "What could he possibly want with her?"

Tails rubbed his head sheepishly. "We don't really know that. But if we know anything about him, it's that he's trying to take over the world again."

Terell stood up. "If you're going after her, I'm coming along. I've got something to settle with that Shadow hedgehog."

Ábriel sighed. "Terell, I don't know if you'll want to go-"

"I'm going. I won't sit here while you all go out to help her. She's in a spot partially because of me."

She continued as though he hadn't interrupted. "Because G.U.N. has just assigned Jesse to the case." Terell looked confused; he had nothing against her. "And I selected Jasmín."

* * *

Terell threw a punch that could have dented a door as he and Tails walked down the corridor. "I can't believe I'm on a mission with that- that-"

Tails looked at him. "What?"

"There's not a word in our **language** to describe that female. I can't work with her, and I've told Ábriel that before. There's a reason why we don't go on missions together. And it has something to do with the fact that one of our rules is always keep your partner safe. I couldn't guarantee that I would protect her if it came to that. I'd be slightly busy trying to decide if I would be doing the right thing by letting her die." He balled his hand into a fist. "Not to mention the fact that she hates Maraya. Putting her on that mission was a terrible idea! Ábriel knew I'd demand to go!" He frowned. "I can't work with her, and she doesn't really want to help Rya. She's probably glad she's gone missing."

"Talking about me? I'm glad I'm of such importance to you." Jasmín smirked. "Just so you know, I've been informed that we're on that team together. So you should know to stay out of my way out there."

Terell glared. "Gladly. We wouldn't want you to get hurt, now would we?"

Jasmín's smile was malicious. "Or for you to. After all, you **do** have **such** a good history of staying out of harm's way, don't you?" She looked pointedly at his bandaged leg, sighed, then shook her head. "Messing with you is so much fun, dear. Do try to loosen up." She patted his face patronizingly as she continued past him and off down the hall.

Tails was quiet when he spoke up again. "I can see now why you don't like her. But if she's so hard to get along with, why is she still here?"

"She's a darn good fighter, that's why, and the farthest thing from a traitor." Terell ran a hand through his hair. "She's got a quick mind and is able to improvise like no one's business. G.U.N. trained her well. But it doesn't mean I have to like her. My advice? Stay away from her. She's like a snake; you never know what she'll do next. She's dangerous. Not an enemy exactly, but a teammate you kinda always want to leave behind. And keep a real close eye on."

Tails decided to change the subject. "Um, where's Rynn?"

"Dang it, I completely forgot." He turned abruptly into a room. "Rynn's supposed to be on vacation. His plane is supposed to land in a day or so. He'll want to know about this. And most likely he'll demand to be on the task force. Ábriel won't like it, but she'll give him clearance. This **is **a special case." He tapped one of the people sitting in front of a computer on the shoulder. "Max, Agent Rynn Alder's plane will be landing soon, but I want you to get a message to him now that his sister's gone missing. And that he needs to contact the Commander. Preferably before he starts his trip."

Max grinned. "Got it, Chief." He tapped a few keys on the control board, typed out the message, and turned back around. "All set. Door's over there."

Terell smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks, man."

"Whatever." He turned back to his computer. "Make my life a lot easier if you'd just learn how to send an email."

Terell ignored him, walking back outside. "My guess is we'll be hearing from Rynn in two hours or less. And he will not be happy about this."

* * *

"HRRAAGH!" Shadow punted the punching bag across the room. It smashed into the wall, leaving a dent and ripping open. He'd gone right down to the training center after his fight with Maraya hours ago, and had been steadily destroying most of the equipment. Even thinking about her brought his anger back. He hung another punching bag, blasting it off of the chain the same way he had the one before it.

"Shadow, I can appreciate your frustration, but I will say that destroying **my **things does neither of us any good."

"This might not be the best time, Doctor."

"I'm afraid I can't wait for you to tire, as I have a problem that needs to be dealt with. And I need you to bring Agent Alder to the control room within the hour. We three have several things to discuss." He abruptly turned and walked out, leaving Shadow to seethe about having to deal with her again.

Finally, he decided to just get it over with and went back to her cell. The Doctor had no idea how much trouble he'd put his hostage in. He'd be tempted to beat her senseless if she opened her mouth again. Grimacing, he pressed the button on the panel, and the door slid open.

Maraya sat on her bed, legs crossed and eyes closed. She made a quick mental apology to Terell and to Rynn before speaking. "I've had some time to think, and I've decided to let my anger go for a while. I get frustrated and lose my temper quite easily, and that usually leads to me running my mouth. But I will try to prevent that in the immediate future. I propose a temporary truce. We have to live together somehow, for goodness knows how long, and I waste a lot of energy trying to stay angry. Perhaps, when I'm not at such a disadvantage, I'll remember how mad I'm supposed to be and kick your butt. But this is a two-way street. You won't provoke me, I'll avoid provoking you, and we'll square our differences later on."

Shadow laughed tauntingly, though his real feelings were far from that. He felt more respect than anger for her now. "What makes you think I'll agree to that? You don't have anything to bargain with."

"I'm asking you to be reasonable. I don't want to have to fight you."

"We won't fight. As long as you remember who's really in control here."

"You think it's you? Because I don't."

Shadow growled. "I knew me coming here was a bad idea."

"Why is that?"

"Because every time you say something, I have to hold myself back from knocking you around." He gritted out.

Maraya's eyes turned challenging. "You **talk** pretty tough, but you can't even deal with the truth. And you think you could best me easily?" She laughed. "Right."

Shadow smiled darkly. "Is that a challenge, girl?"

She blinked at him twice, tilting her head. "I believe so." Her voice dripped with mockery. "You think you can beat me? Prove it. And if you can, I'll never question your 'authority' again." She grinned. "But when I win, you agree to my ceasefire." She lifted her hands. "And these come off. Permanently."

Shadow smirked, confident he could win. "Just remember you asked for this beating."

* * *

_**HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! **_**NOT a legit cliffy! :D**

**I'll see you all in a bit! :D**

Rya


	6. Chapter Five: Of Fights and Friends

**Hullo! Sorry that I've been late this week, but it's homecoming AND my senior year, so bear with me! :P**

**Chaos: Maybe, maybe, read and see! :P And I don't know yet about that fight...  
Thanks! :D  
**

**Nomad: You never know, you might end up liking her... :P Maybe I'll make that my goal!  
**

**Strife: LOL, You're the only person rooting for Shadow!  
Shadow: Not funny, Rya.  
**

**Blackie: You sure, Zap? I can do it...  
Maraya: *shouts louder while poking her*  
Yes, I'm afraid so. I need him alive. For now, anyways. :P  
No, no he won't. But you'll know a little bit more about why next chapter.  
Jasmin: I don't know or care who those people are, and I don't need an apology from you. Say whatever you want; doesn't bother me.  
Jasmin, stop it! *shoves her* You're being mean to Blackie!  
Jasmin: *looks you up and down* So_ you're_ the Blackie she's always going on about. *walks away*  
_Must...not...kill...grr..._  
Please do...mine is still partially intact. :P**

**Disclaimer:  
...who hasn't done it yet...?  
Maraya: *bouncing* I'll do it, I'll do it!  
*shoots looks at Terell and Jasmin* Go ahead!  
Maraya: Sonic and Co belong to SEGA, and all of us Rogues, including that...that panther...belong to Rya! *clapping* And we're lucky we do, _someone _needs to keep Jasmin under control.  
Thanks, Maraya!  
Maraya: *cool* No problem.  
**

* * *

Shadow was beginning to regret accepting her challenge. She wasn't strong, and they both knew it. But she was fast and her aim was spot-on. Several times he'd almost been caught by one of her knives. She was taking advantage of the fact that his ability lay in his attack strength and speed. Even when he was using Chaos Control, it didn't faze her. She was still more beaten up than him, though. When he managed to get a hit, it was always a good one.

He sped out of the way as razor-sharp kunai flew at him from the other side of the room. "Had enough?" Maraya taunted.

He warped behind her, aiming a kick at her head that she blocked. The toe of his shoe clipped her arm, leaving a slight gash, but she only smirked. "I guess that's a no." She sighed, rubbing her eyes with a hand. "This is getting us nowhere." Without warning, she punched him in the stomach, following with a left hook to his face and a final kick to his middle that sent him flying. "Anything goes, right?" She said as he got up glaring at her.

"Yeah, anything goes." He growled. A red outline surrounded him as he built up chaos energy. "CHAOS BLAST!"

Maraya had no clue what was coming next, so she prepared herself as best she could, ducking for cover behind a mat, and cocking her pistol. The energy wave slammed into everything around, flinging Maraya into a wall. Her left arm took he majority of the force, and she bit her tongue to keep from screaming. A coppery taste filled her mouth as the room settled. She waited, unmoving, until she heard Shadow get closer. When he moved the mat off of her, she kicked out, hitting him in the chin and knocking him off balance. He took a few steps back and readied a chaos spear while she pulled her pistol up, leveling it at his chest as the door swung open.

"Shadow, I do recall telling you that I needed you within the hour...SHADOW!"

Maraya instantly flicked the safety on and slid her gun back into its holster, then turned her head and spat out the blood in her mouth. She didn't want to harm the Doctor, especially since she didn't have an escape route planned yet. Shadow took advantage of this, twisting her injured arm, but she used his higher position to flip him and straddle his back, her right hand holding her left arm steady as she swung it around his neck and put him in a chokehold. It hurt her a lot more than it hurt him, but she wasn't about to show either of them that she was in pain.

Shadow grabbed her ankle to get her off, twisting it painfully. Both Maraya and the Doctor winced, but Maraya hung on, determined not to lose.

Eggman quickly interfered at this. "I need you to quit whatever it is that the two of you are doing and come up to the control room. Shadow, you should be more concerned for my interests. Killing her doesn't help me, and it certainly doesn't make me feel generous with regards to our deal." Maraya looked quizzically at Shadow. "Come along." Eggman turned and left.

Neither one wanted to be the first to let go. Finally, they both did, Maraya rolling off of Shadow and onto her back, panting. Shadow could tell she was hurt, but she didn't grab her arm or ankle to whine or sulk. His respect for her went up again, but his anger at himself did, too; she was his hostage, not his equal.

"You heard the Doctor. Move."

"Draw?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "Does it matter?"

Maraya grinned. "Of course it does." She sat up and turned to face him. "Especially if you're too macho to admit you didn't win."

"You didn't win."

"Never said I did. Draw?"

Shadow stood up. "Whatever." He smirked. "But I'm feeling generous, so I'll even go through on my part of the wager. No cuffs."

"That's not what I want, and you know it."

"Well, I'm not going to agree to that. You didn't win. And, like I said before, you have nothing to offer me."

Maraya laughed breathlessly. "Wow. You really don't see it? We'll be together for a long time, the way I look at this. I could make your life terrible, and I know how much pleasure ol' Doc takes in irritating the schnizz out of you too, even though I haven't even been here that long. But I will be here for a while. And I can be so, so aggravating. We can both make each other miserable. Or we can just agree to get along. For now, anyway." She held out a hand. "Truce? Or you scared that you might actually end up liking me?"

The thought of Maria, and what she knew about her, made him hesitate. But how could he figure out what she knew if he didn't play along and get her to trust him? Everyone had a price; he just had to figure out hers. For Maria's sake. He could see Maraya's disbelief that he was doing it as he walked forward to grab her hand. "I doubt it." He smirked at her, but she genuinely smiled back. "Just so you know, this doesn't mean I'm agreeing to not try to escape. It's the first rule in any standard Prisoner Survival Guide." Shadow fought back a smirk. "And I still have to stop you." Maraya rolled her eyes.

"What's Eggman want?" She hopped up off of the floor, happy that she could act normally again.

"Like I know."

Maraya giggled. "You're...what? Just his muscle? Not his brains? I'm shocked." She laughed again. "Although I doubt **he** could've kept up with me in Station Square."

Shadow grabbed her arm, fighting back another smirk. "Move."

* * *

Ábriel slammed down the receiver, furious. "Who had the brilliant idea to tell him?" She railed at Raechel. "Now he's planning to use his return flight; he'll be back on Wednesday! He was supposed to be enjoying a vacation!"

Terell strolled in. "That'd be me. I thought he should know about it sooner rather than later or never."

Raechel, seeing her getting angry, jumped in. "Now, Ábriel, it's his sister. He had a right to know. Hiding that from him probably wasn't a good idea to begin with. We already figured that the extraction would take a while as well as being difficult, so there was no guarantee that she wouldn't still be missing when he got back." Raechel stated. "Plus he probably would have been even angrier that you didn't tell him his sister was in trouble when he **did** find out."

Ábriel lowered her head to the desk. "I suppose you're right." She sighed. "But it doesn't make my job easier. I just wanted to give him this. He deserved it. I suppose it will make things easier between you and Jasmín, though."

Terell nodded. "I think that we know who was behind the attacks on Station Square, now, though. G.U.N. should be satisfied."

"Oh, but they're not. Someone up top seems to be convinced that Sonic and his friends have staged this whole thing, and that maybe Maraya was in on it."

"You didn't let them say that about her without responding, I hope!"

"Oh, I responded, alright. Told them exactly where they could stuff that crazy idea. To even think of accusing one of the Rogues of being a traitor is inexcusable. Even more so when you consider it's an Alder we're talking about. That girl was raised in G.U.N. Literally. Both her parents were brilliant agents, and she trained under Jesse. Not to mention she's on contract to them. Maraya has never once gone back on anything while on contract. She completed her objective, no matter what the situation. Now they accuse her of this?"

"I just hope that she's alright. I'll never forgive myself if something bad happens to her."

"I don't doubt that she is. She can take care of herself, as long as nothing major changes, in any situation."

Raechel eyed Ábriel, beginning to look nervous. "I...I have a bit of bad news, Ábriel. And it's kind of the reason why I'm worried about her."

"What's wrong, Raechel?" Terell looked at her curiously.

She cleared her throat, then looked at Terell. "Lucas dropped off of the grid. We don't know where he is." She looked down. "But I'm worried **he** might know where **she** is."

* * *

"My, my. Agent Alder. Imagine, us meeting here."

Maraya's eyes narrowed as the panther approached them. She stepped forward to respond, but Shadow jumped in front of her. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't blow your head off. This place is supposed to be empty."

"Relax, hedgehog. Eggman knows I'm here; I brought him some oh-so-helpful information on her and her little brother. We're on the same team now. I figured I could take her off of your hands." He looked at her, then frowned slightly. "Where's her cuffs?"

"It is nice to see old friends, isn't it though?" She sighed. "You know, the last time we saw each other I thought you were a dreadful coward. Isn't it wonderful to find out that some things never change?" She smiled sweetly.

Lucas' smile was clearly forced. "It is indeed. After all, once a brat, always a brat, huh?"

"Oh, I don't think so. I am of the opinion that Jasmín has made great strides toward civility in the past few years."

"Enough." Shadow growled. "I have something that I need to do, and you," he glared at Lucas, "had better **find** something to do that keeps you out of my way."

Lucas smirked. "Whatever, hedgehog." He walked around them, bumping Shadow with his shoulder on the way by. Shadow spun around, neither noticing that Maraya was slowly edging away. "You don't want me as an enemy. You're expendable to the Doctor. He doesn't care about your life anymore than I do."

"SHADOW! GET IN HERE!" Eggman's voice screamed over the intercom.

"Well, at the very least, I'm not one of his minions. Go see to your master, hedgehog." Shadow's eyes narrowed as Lucas turned his back on him and walked away. He finally spun and rocketed off down the hallway to the control room. The door slid open to chaos.

Maraya held a wrench in her hand, cornering Eggman. "You idiot!" She screamed. "You deserve to die for this!"

Like lightning, Shadow shot across the room twisting the wrench from her grasp, only for her to ball up a fist. He grabbed her wrists but she yanked away and finally he was forced to loop an arm around her throat and haul her away from him. She continued to struggle until he whispered in her ear. "Calm down. Neither of them are worth it." Slowly, she started to relax.

Eggman, had been in the corner, his mouth gaping open and dumb with fear. She'd charged in, grabbed the tool and come after him without warning. Now that Shadow was here, he could show that he was still in charge. He cleared his throat. "I had expected better behavior from you, Agent. Perhaps you've forgotten that I decide what happens to you...and that I don't generally act kind towards those who attack me."

She ignored him, focusing on Shadow. "Get me out of here. Please."

"I can't." Shadow knew that the Doctor wouldn't tolerate him doing something on her request instead of his. Slowly, he reached down and threaded his fingers through hers, holding her hand tightly. She nodded her thanks with a small smile-that vanished when she faced Eggman. "Doctor, I don't really care what you think at this point, because you've done something so incredibly stupid you don't deserve interest, let alone fear. Lucas? The panther you hired? Not the most straightforward guy. I'll fill you in on what you're missing, genius." She glared at him. "He's an ex-Rogue. My ex-partner. His "info" is years and years out of date. He's a double crosser. A traitor. A guy who's willing to sell his secrets to whoever will give him the most incentive. He tried to off me during a mission because someone paid him to. Didn't even matter to him that we were-" She hesitated. "-partners. And you've given him gold. He now knows where the infamous Doctor Eggman's base is, how to break security, everything you saw fit to tell him. And he's still waiting to collect the cash for my life." She shook her head. "Not one of your best moves, Doc."

Shadow could tell that there was more to the story, but he wouldn't press it. Not with Eggman there.

"Oh, but don't worry. I'm sure you didn't tell him anything really important. After all, you are the brilliant scientist here, right?"

Eggman's face reddened. "Get her out of here! Now!"

Shadow immediately turned and led her out. Maraya slid her hand out of his, leaving his feeling oddly empty and cold. "I need you to do two things for me, Shadow." She looked at him. "First, I need you to trust me." He nodded, and she closed her eyes. "Second, I need you to take me to Lucas."

"You don't know where he is."

"That's not true. I know exactly where he is. But I'll need a few things before I can face him." She eyed him carefully. "And I'll need you to let me face him alone."

* * *

The door slid open, and Lucas dropped the cigarette in his hand, quietly snuffing it out. He'd waited for her here, in her room, in the dark, for an hour. Now was his chance to finish this. The door slid closed again, and a he could hear her slowly made her way to the bed in the dark, laying down. Silently, he moved over and held his knife close to where her throat should be. "I've waited years for this, Ry. You should have chosen me over that girl. Then maybe I'd have chosen you over that money." He chuckled, preparing to stab her. "Like parents, like child, I suppose." Suddenly, the light flicked on.

"So that's what's been buzzing around in your head all these years." Maraya leaned against the wall. "I can't believe it. So petty; so childish." She glared at him. "My parents did the right thing and so did I. Maria was the victim of a military's unfounded fear of a scientific project. She deserved to live. She still does. I did what I had to to make sure she always does, and I'm not ashamed of that. And she'll live peacefully and in safety if I have to kill you both."

"Still having those nightmares, huh?" Lucas mocked. Maraya's eyebrows raised in slight confusion. "We'll settle this now. In a fair fight." He smirked. "A fistfight. So drop your knives."

Maraya smirked back. "You've learned something since the last time I blew a hole in you. But no. I won't let you put me at a disadvantage just so you can cheat again. You use your weapons, I'll use mine." She casually slid down the wall into a sitting position.

Lucas shrugged, pulling a chain from his pocket. "Okay. It'll make this easier and cleaner for me anyway." He walked towards her, watching her.

Just as it was about to touch her neck, she sprang, kicking her legs out in an arc and knocking him off of his feet. His head slammed into the wall and he hit the floor, laying there dazed. She rolled over and got up, yanking him to his feet by his collar and holding a knife to his throat. "I should kill you for attacking Rynn, Maria, and Ábriel. But I won't for their sakes. They still believe that everyone deserves a second chance. So you better leave and thank whoever you believe in that I spared your life. Because next time you decide to fight me, I won't." She leaned in close. "You know how I take threats to my family to heart."

As soon as the knife was gone, so was he. She stepped outside and walked down the hall to where Shadow was waiting. "I'm through with him. For now, anyway." She looked down. "You ever been betrayed?"

"Once or twice. It happens." Shadow instantly realized his mistake and snapped his mouth shut. He had to remember why he was here with her. She was a hostage and a potential informant. Not his friend. And he wanted to keep it that way.

She sighed. "I've made you uncomfortable somehow." At his surprised look, she added. "I read people. It's what I do. One of my talents." She looked away. "Sometimes it's what makes the difference between life and death. You can't read people, you don't know who wants to kill you. And at times, it's kill or be killed, even though I don't much prefer either."

Shadow could tell that she needed...something. Her voice was dull and lifeless, not like her at all. But there was nothing that he would do about it. Even if knowing that he could comfort her, but wasn't going to, made him feel guilty.

He led her down the hall to her new cell.

* * *

**Not a cliffy! :D But I can promise there will be one soon.**

**A little hint for the next chapter: find some creepy music. I recommend Mephiles themes! :P**

**Later, gators!**  
**Rya**


	7. Chapter Six: History

**Hello peeps! Sorry I disappeared for so long. I've been terribly busy as a lot of you know...but I'm back! For now, at least...**

**Thanks to all those who reviewed! :D**

**Amicus: Thank you! I've been studying action writing, so I'm glad you think they're good! And yes..Eggman never quite lives up to his 300 IQ... :P**

**Strife: I don't think so...once you get past the creepy, they're pretty cool themes. And I don't know...you'll find out about those two in this chapter.**

**Nomad: Yay! Then my job is done! I still think that you might end up liking her though! XD**

**Disclaimer: Sonic and friends belong to SEGA. I own the Rogues and the panther, Lucas.  
**

* * *

Tails dropped the screwdriver for the second time in ten minutes. He'd never been clumsy, so it had to be his way of trying to get Sonic's attention. Looking up from trying to take a nap, Sonic sighed. "What, Tails?"

"Sonic, I was just wondering...well, you've been acting strange, and..."

"I was trying to give him credit, Tails. I figured he wouldn't fall for another one of Egghead's tricks. Guess I was wrong." The blue hedgehog frowned. "Eggman has to be using a new plan this time. Shadow doesn't do anything without a reward attached."

Tails nodded. "That's what I think, too. Although I still don't see why Eggman would go after Maraya. As far as Jesse knows, she's never been assigned to a mission with him as a target before." He stared off into space. "I just...when she called me, I...she was one of the few people who'd really cared about me. She looked out for me, her and Rynn. I promised myself I'd do the same for them when I was able to. And now I feel guilty because I didn't."

"Tails, what happened?" Amy walked in. "You said something about you all losing touch. Why?"

Tails hesitated. "I don't really know. One day, they were there, the next, they weren't. Every one of them disappeared. Until last week when I got a phone call from her."

"That's not just losing touch." Amy said gently. "She didn't say anything about leaving?"

"No," Tails shook his head. "She didn't say anything about it, but I would have known if they were moving. It was really weird. One day, we were playing, having a good time, making plans for the next day, and when it came, they'd all just vanished. The house wasn't empty, though. It was only the family that disappeared."

"Maybe Jesse would know something." Sonic thought aloud.

Tails perked up. "Can we ask her? Maybe it'll help us find some information on why she was kidnapped."

Sonic and Amy both nodded. "That's a good idea, Tails."

* * *

_Towers' laugh was pure evil, ringing through the room. "Traitors, all of you. Not worth the air you breathe. You all deserve to die." The room didn't stay still, spinning and morphing while Towers screamed at her. "You deserve to suffer! And you will!" The scene switched. She was ten again, being held back. Towers' fingers dug into her shoulders, clawing at her. "DEATH TO THE TRAITORS!"_

"_You, John and Dierdre Alder, are being executed on this day for your refusal to comply with the command of a higher officer with regards to a top security case file. There will be no trial..."_

"_NO!" Maraya screamed, fighting his talons. "NO!"_

"_...let this execution serve as a reminder to all agents that all those who deliberately oppose this agency will be terminated without delay or question..."_

_Tears streamed down her face. The guns lifted, but neither hedgehog moved or flinched. They didn't hear her screams, their attention focused only on the firing squad in front of them._

"_Your children will receive no relocation from this agency and are permanently in custody of the military..." Suddenly, her mother looked directly at her. Her eyes were cold and lifeless, as though she were already gone._

_Towers' grip bit deeper. "Traitors, all of you. You'll pay for what you've done. For what you helped your parents to do. For what you did." He laughed maniacally. "You'll receive worse than death, my dear. They have the easy way out."_

"_We await your order."_

_Towers smiled down at her, his eyes crazed. "Fire."_

_She screamed, fighting again as the guns went off, hot lead flying through the air to kill the two hedgehogs, slowly, slowly, to torture her. Towers smiled madly at Maraya's weeping and screams for her parents. "Now, now, none of that. I'm here with you now." Blood spattered the walls behind the bodies, but Towers' laugh never ceased, the laugh of a madman. His eyes glinted in the bright lights. "It'll be much, much worse for you...save your tears for then."_

_His fingers clawed at her throat, but she held on to him for comfort, hating herself for needing it, hating him for what he did. Her breathing stopped as his hands circled her neck, his claws digging into her flesh. "No one to save you, now. No one to protect you but me. From me." He cackled. "You'll be praying for death, to join your parents, little one..."_

"_Little one..."_

* * *

Maraya sat up with a scream, banging her head against the bunk on top of hers. The blow shook her back into reality, leaving her terrified and gasping for breath. She felt tears running down her face, as powerless to stop them now as she'd been eight years ago. The same nightmare had been with her, ever since the day her parents were killed. Not even Rynn knew about the nightmare, or the execution, even though she'd been struggling with the knowledge of both for all this time. She hated Towers for what he'd done to her family.

Without warning, the door to her cell slid open, and an irritated-looking Shadow stepped through the door.

He flipped on the lights. "What the he...?" The sight in front of him stopped him in his tracks. Maraya sat on the bed...crying. He probably never would've come in had he known she was.

Seeming to notice him for the first time, she tried to wipe the tears away, but it didn't work. Finally, she turned away from him, determined that even if he knew she was crying, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing it. To her surprise and embarrassment, he didn't leave, but only closed the door.

"Please leave." Maraya winced inwardly at how her voice shook. Weakness was something she swore never to show again. People like Towers took advantage of weakness. Shadow came over to her bed, holding out a hand. "Come on."

Maraya sniffled, turning to look at him. "What?"

He rolled his eyes. "You like to talk, so I might as well let you talk. I'll take you someplace where you can walk and talk until you get tired again. Although it may be in even worse condition than this base."

Maraya slowly reached out her hand, grabbing his. He pulled her up, leading her from the room and down to Eggman's control center.

* * *

Maraya looked around. "What's this place?"

Shadow looked at her steadily. "This is the observation deck of the ARK. Down there's Mobius. A friend of mine and I used to sit here and look down, wondering what Earth would be like. It wasn't nearly as nice as she'd hoped for it to be."

"That's not true." Maraya said softly. "She was right. The world is full of many wonderful people and there's so many pleasant things down there that the bad things are hard to focus on."

Shadow snorted. "Yeah, tell that to all the doctors and scientists who died here while on a research project."

Maraya looked out at the blue planet. "It's true, Shadow. There are a lot of misguided people down there. People who don't see anything wrong with hurting other people simply because they are able to. But writing off people as a whole...well, that's just not a practical action. You can hate people for what they've done, or you can realize that people make mistakes but that they can also change. But if you don't give them the opportunity to, it only hurts you." She swallowed hard. "You miss so many good things because you're focused solely on the bad, and refuse to change your focus."

Shadow was silent, thinking over what she said. She definitely talked as though she had experience in this. But the girl who always had a positive attitude, who was always laughing and smiling-what could she possibly know about betrayal and pain?

She looked at him and laughed slightly. "Your face is a book, Shads."

"Don't-"

"Call you Shads. Does it really even bother you that much, or is it the principle of the matter?" She shook her head. "Why do I even try?" She joked. After a few moments, she frowned, looking back out at the stars. "You think I'm some happy-go-lucky person, who's always had it good and never been in a bad spot. I can tell you, it isn't true, Shadow. If...if you could even imagine some of the things I'd been through...you'd be surprised at some of the choices I've made. Maybe even amazed that I'm still here talking to you. I know a couple people who already are. Lucas is one, obviously. The reason I joined the Rogues is because I wanted to protect other people. I didn't want anyone to ever have to learn to live with the things I'd been put through. It isn't fair to anyone. I'd already felt what it was like, and if I could keep someone from experiencing the same pain, it would be worth it."

Shadow looked away. He'd always believed that he was a robot, incapable of emotion. But ever since she'd come here, he'd been experiencing the emotions he claimed not to have. And he hated it. She didn't deserve his pity and was no one important to make him feel guilty about anything. So why did he feel the impulse to comfort her now? He looked at her, disgust suddenly filling him as he thought of the reason. She was a good actress, he'd give her that. Most people would've been taken in by that routine already.

"Things would be so much easier if you would just talk." Maraya looked at him.

"It's a waste of time." Shadow answered. "Just do what you need to do and skip what's unnecessary." He couldn't stay near her. She was dangerous. "Let's go." Shadow didn't want to hear whatever else she had to say. "The Doctor won't be pleased if he realizes we're gone."

Maraya tilted her head. "Why do you insist on making everything so difficult? I thought we agreed to a truce!"

"A truce means we don't fight. And it certainly doesn't mean I trust you." Shadow replied coolly. "Maybe if your mood swings weren't so drastic, I could find a little trust somewhere. But I can't believe anyone who can put on a good show." He grabbed her wrist, leading her back to the portal in the control room.

Maraya walked with her head held high, determined not to let him see that his words hurt. "I don't care if you believe me or not, Shadow. It doesn't matter what you think about me. _Your_ trust in me is irrelevant. But I still don't hate you." He roughly pulled her onto the warp pad. "Thank you for bringing me here." She said quietly, just before they vanished.

* * *

"The Doctor requested to see you again."

Maraya looked up at him. A few hours ago, he'd left her without a second glance as though she sickened him. "What could he possibly want now?" Shadow shrugged, leading her to Eggman's room.

As soon as they arrived, Maraya was back on her game. Any indication that she'd been upset before was gone, and it rattled Shadow that she could do that. Eggman stepped up to greet them.

"I would like to speak to you alone, Agent, if you don't mind." Shadow nodded and left. "Would you be so kind as to come over and sit, please?"

Maraya complied, but rather than sitting in the chair that Eggman had pointed out, she chose another. "I'm not in a very spitfire mood, so don't waste it. Shoot."

Eggman, seeing that she was right, started talking."Well, I've noticed several very troubling things. First, no one's come after you. It's been three days since you were first brought here, but neither G.U.N. or my nemesis have made a move."

Maraya laughed. "Don't worry about that. My contract came into effect today, so G.U.N. is now spending money; that's reason enough for them to come find me. Either they'll come or I'll escape. I'm sure I'll be out of your hair-wait a minute...no, no. Sorry, continue."

"Secondly," Eggman continued, irritated. "I've noticed that you are attempting to become friends with Shadow. My advice is don't bother. He, as I'm certain you must have noticed, only becomes involved when there is personal gain for himself. You're not in any position to offer him what I can, so he won't fall for any of your little tricks."

"Yes, I do remember you saying something about your deal. What on Mobius is good enough that he'd betray his own agency?"

"You'd like to know so you could use it yourself, wouldn't you, my dear?" Eggman laughed mockingly. "Although it seems you may already have information that is useful to him-knowledge about a certain Mary Dawson?" Maraya's face remained deadpan, but he knew she knew. "Although I can't reasonably hope that you'll tell me what you know about her, I can assure you that I have a lot of the information about her that you do. That information is the only reason why he's tolerated you and agreed to your silly little truce. And you've been to stupid to see it. We both have the same ace to play, but Shadow won't attack me to get mine."

"No, but as soon as you've given the information to him, you're as expendable to him as one of your robots is to you. You aren't..._important_ to him, if that's the fantasy you were working under?"

Eggman glared at her. "For such a little girl, you are incredibly rude. Maybe it's time I showed you what you're truly up against."

She smiled innocently. "Considering the circumstances, I believe that I've been incredibly civil. I've fought him before, Doctor Eggman. And I will do it again if it comes down to it. As far as I'm concerned, I'd rather stay here until the day I die, fighting for my life, than put my brother in danger. And that's what _you're_ up against. Good luck, genius."

Eggman was visibly angry, and it amused her immensely that he couldn't control his temper. One of the first things she'd been taught as an interrogator is that if you could get someone mad, you could get them to talk. It was only a matter of pushing them in the right direction. "And whatever else you might have is probably not worth much anyway."

"Ha! You're wrong there! I've got everything he _wants_ to know. All the information about his past, as well as his dear Maria! He's been using you this whole time to get information! You're worth nothing more to him than that!" Suddenly, his machine started beeping, and he turned to look.

Maraya could feel her heart deflating. She knew Shadow didn't trust her, but she'd hoped that he liked her, even if they weren't friends. Maybe she hadn't read him well, after all. What if Towers was right...was she really worthless? Tears started to fill her eyes, but she brushed them away, disgusted at her own weakness. She'd sworn not to let Towers' words hurt her anymore. He had no hold on her anymore.

"Shadow, I need you in here right away." Looking at the screen, Eggman smirked, forgetting all of his anger instantly. "The Sonic gang has decided to stop by."

* * *

**You're still missing quite a few pieces about Maraya and Rynn, but now this chapter might explain a bit about Maraya's character. At least, I hope it did...**

**Ciao now!  
Rya**

**P.S. I may be changing my username...but I'm not 100% sure yet. If I do, I'll make note of it in my next update!  
**


	8. Chapter Seven: Tension

**HEL-LO PEOPLE! :D**  
**...miss me? :P**

**For those of you who have been reading these intros, you know that two chapters back(at least, I think it was two...) I announced that the next chapter would be an unofficial Fanfiction Lurkers Day! And for those of you paying attention...**  
***shame* ...you know I never announced it.**

**So: HAPPY FANFICTION LURKERS DAY! :D**

**Chaos: Okay, okay, calm down! :P**  
**And yes. Yes it is. *high five***

**Nomad: Good oh or bad oh? :P Just know things are 'bout to get ugly...**

**Strife: Thanks! :D**  
**Maraya: *pouting* I am not weak!**

**Amicus: Indeed! XD Shadow is just...troubled. We all do love him, though!**

**Blackie: LOL, that is pretty good! XD**  
**Oh, dear. So many people saying no...**  
**Maraya: Of course! Hugs are my thing! *hugs you***  
**Terell: *glares daggers at FD* You know, Zap was right about you.**  
***shifty eyes* We shall see...I can't spoil the plot line... :P**

**Okeydokey, people, just a warning. There is a timeskip ahead. If that gets confusing, please let me know.**

**This chapter is also dedicated to my Ohana. Without those guys...this story might not be here right now. Thanks and hugs to all of you!**

**Disclaimer: Sonic and his posse are the property of SEGA and are not used in this story in any way that intentionally infringes upon the copyrights held by SEGA. The Rogues, both excluding and also including Lucas, are the property of my imagination and are also not used in any way that infringes upon the rights held by myself(mostly because there is no copyright.) Thank you and have a nice day.**

**We now return to our regularly scheduled program...**

* * *

_Earlier that day..._

* * *

"What do you mean, you can't go after her?" Sonic demanded.

"Just that, I'm afraid." Jesse sighed, looking out a window. "My orders came directly from Commander Towers himself. I'm to stay here until further notice. Towers knew all along I'd recommended her to the president. This is his way of showing everyone around me that he's still in command."

Tails looked at her. "But that's not fair!"

Jesse turned to him, laughing slightly. "When you've worked here long enough, you start to realize that life just isn't going to be fair. Not to mention he doesn't like Maraya." She shook her head. "It's often easier to assume that there's someone out to get you and that they might succeed. Keeps you from wasting time getting upset if it happens. And to think, I wasn't so jaded when I came here. "

"What does he have against Maraya?" Tails asked.

Jesse immediately closed up. "I can't tell you all that. For personal and security reasons. But trust me, he doesn't like her or anyone connected to her. So please keep that in mind before you decide to do something stupid."

"Like what?" Sonic asked.

She looked at him. "Like go after her. He's waiting for someone to slip up so he can go after her on his own out in the open. If he can turn things around to make it look like you're going against us to the President, he'll take advantage of it."

"How could he make an attack on Eggman look like we're fighting the President?"

"Towers has been trying to convince the president that Maraya has double-crossed him ever since she disappeared. If you go after her, whether or not you recover her, that gives him the opportunity to claim that Maraya is in league with Eggman, and that's why you attacked. Of course, if she doesn't get out of there soon, it won't matter because he'll use that as his evidence anyway."

Sonic nodded. "There's no way to win, huh?"

"Nope. There isn't, not against a snake like Towers."

"We can't just sit here and do nothing, though! Maraya is in real danger; there's no telling what Shadow or Eggman might do to her!" Tails cried.

"Well, at the very least, you've figured it out. Who took her, I mean."

Sonic got up. "There's nothing we can do from here, so we'll come to you if we figure something out."

"Please do. I want nothing more than to get at Shadow for taking her. He'll pay for that, I assure you." Her eyes held a threatening glint.

One by one, everyone left the office except for Tails. He walked over to her desk. "Jesse, I had a personal question for you."

"Go ahead, Tails."

"Maraya disappeared from my neighborhood eight years ago, and then out of nowhere, called me and asked me to see her. I know it's a bit far-fetched, but I was wondering if you know anything about what happened?"

Jesse sighed. "Tails, I can tell you, but you aren't going to like it." Seeing that that didn't discourage him, she continued. "Maraya and her family were taken into military custody. They could only hold the kids until they turned eighteen, but when Maraya turned 16, Towers had a hard time controlling her and turned both of them over to me." She looked away. "Military custody is never a great thing, but it broke my heart to see that they didn't trust anyone other than each other when I received custody of them. The first time I tried to hug Rynn, Maraya almost killed me." She laughed shortly. "It wasn't very funny at the time, I can tell you, but that defensiveness has never left her. She's carrying a lot of baggage around, Tails. Part of it is guilt that she never got to say goodbye to you. If it makes you feel any better, she talked about you all of the time. Called you her little brother."

Tails looked up. "Really?"

Jesse smiled. "Yes. She was so proud of you. She told me about all of the inventions and blueprints that you showed her, your science fair projects, everything. Even how cool she thought it was that you had two tails. She wasn't ever happy here unless she was talking about you or Rynn."

Tails stared off into space. He almost couldn't believe that she hadn't forgotten him after all. But he wondered what Towers had done to her to change her so drastically...

* * *

Terell paced back and forth. He'd come to Tails' workshop to find out what Jesse had said during their meeting, and was not pleased with what he heard. "I don't get it. There has to be some way that she can help."

"She said there wasn't. And I doubt she was kidding." Sonic rolled his eyes. "Towers has had it out for our team for a while, but I had no idea he'd act this way towards people within his own agency."

Terell shook his head. "You obviously haven't worked with the government long enough. You don't go against your commanding officers, no matter what. Or you pay, big time. She did something. Maybe it was big, maybe it wasn't. But if it challenged his authority...Towers would get back at her any way that he could."

"But why would he go after Maraya? Not only are the Rogues losing an agent, G.U.N. just lost one of their agents, and a whole lot of money." Amy wondered aloud.

Terell looked away. "Maraya's been under the custody of G.U.N. since the age of 10, and under Jesse's custody for the past two years. Legally, Jesse's her mother. And, as far as Maraya's told me, they're the closest thing any of them have had to a family for a while. Naturally, he'd attack that first. Forget money and appearances." He grinned slightly. "Although the appearances and finances do matter. She was getting paid by the day. And for G.U.N. to lose an agent the first day she was assigned to a mission, and be unable to locate or retrieve them...budget cuts next year will be a nightmare."

Knuckles shook his head. "Who puts lunatics like Towers in charge, anyway?"

"Other lunatics, I suppose." Terell said absently. Shaking himself, he turned back to the others. "I'm going after her."

The others were shocked. "What?"

"I'm going after her. She's in trouble, and we have to save her. G.U.N.'s stalling doesn't mean that we can't make our own move."

"Did you clear it with Ábriel?"

Terell hesitated. "She'll understand, I'm sure."

Knuckles nodded. "And even if she didn't, if we decide that's what we're going to do, we need to do it quickly. Shadow's dangerous."

Terell looked at him. "Shadow's mine."

"What are you talking about?"

"He hurt your friend, shot me, and took Maraya. If or when we run into him, I want to be the one to take him out. It becomes personal when you touch my friends."

Tails looked at him. "Is that what she'd want you to do?"

"It doesn't matter what she'd want me to do now. I'm doing what I have to do to keep someone I care for safe."

Knuckles stood. "That's something I agree with. I'm in."

Amy grinned. "Me, too."

Sonic smiled. "You know I'm in!"

Tails was silent for a few seconds. Maraya would be disappointed in him. She hated violence. But he had to try, right? "Let's go."

* * *

_Present Time..._

* * *

Eggman's base wouldn't have been hard to find, even without the X-Tornado. Terell shook his head at the thought of anyone trying to sit a bundle of high-tech equipment anywhere in an area where there would be nothing else to hide it. Even Lucas had managed to cloak himself better than that. _One pyramid within 15 miles of Station Square, with the nearest other structure like it 300 miles away _and _surrounded by others... _He smirked. _Bad move._

Sonic and Terell marched straight up to a camera, making sure they could be clearly seen by whoever was watching the monitor.

"We're coming for Maraya, Egghead." Sonic grinned. "Better start running."

Terell's face was dead serious. "And if Shadow's there with you, let him know this: he's gonna regret the day he ever saw Maraya. Terell Stevens is not someone you mess with."

* * *

Eggman rubbed his hands together gleefully, pleased that someone had finally come to retrieve Maraya. He'd been slightly worried that he would have to do something more drastic to find the girl's brother. But if Sonic's being here and bringing along Agent Stevens meant anything, it was that the Rogues had gotten the message...and possibly passed it on to the boy.

Shadow was clearly not as pleased, especially since the agent had challenged him directly. Eggman, however, didn't seem to care. "Take her to a cell. Then you can deal with that little problem outside."

Shadow's patience was running so thin he could hardly wait for the door to slide open when he pressed the button. He stormed out, dragging Maraya along by her upper arm. "Move."

Maraya eyed him. "Where to?"

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Just. Move." She fixed him with the same look, so he simply grabbed her arm and yanked her out into the hall, flinging her to the floor. "Right now is not a good time to challenge me."

"When is it ever?" She scoffed. "Your mood swings are worse than Jasmín's. And she's **female**."

Shadow was glaring at her now. "The Doctor should make you stay there for this battle. I want you to watch and learn. Really understand how much trouble you can get in on my bad side. That team out there is as good as dead."

Maraya's eyes widened. "You can't! Leave them alone!" She tried to get up, but he pushed her back down, laughing mirthlessly.

"Sure. Now you're worried-" His taunt was cut short as Maraya kicked him in the gut with the high heel of her shoe, flipped up, and took off without another word. He took a second to recover, then followed her, furious that she'd been able to catch him off guard again.

She knew she couldn't get far, so she took as many turns as she could, leading him farther and farther back into the base. He finally caught up to her, using his momentum to slam her into a wall. The two of them landed in a heap, struggling to overpower the other.

"Give up. You've lost!" Shadow taunted. "You'll be lucky if I don't kill all of you."

Maraya growled, kicking so he'd let her go, then getting into her fighting stance. "I won't let you hurt them! Any of them! You've done enough to me. I can live with that, but I can't deal with the blame for getting them hurt!" She lunged at him, knife pointed out. He dodged all but the tip of the knife, the slice oozing blood.

"You are the reason they'll get hurt! You challenged me, lied to me, tried to play to whatever sympathy you thought I had, and they'll pay for that. Don't try to think anything else! It's all your fault..."

Shadow's voice faded, replaced by Towers'. _"It's all your fault. They died because of you. No one loves you, no one cares. Cry all you want, you're nothing. Not to them, not to anyone. And certainly not to me. You should be dead, not them. They deserved to live, and you killed them. Never forget that..." The cuts and bruises he'd just given her stung ten times more as he began to beat her again. "You're nothing...and you deserve to die..."_

She stood up straight and looked him in the eyes, angry tears streaming down her face. "Don't you **dare**!"

Shadow froze. She'd checked out for a second, then come back like this. "What?"

Inwardly, Maraya couldn't believe what she was doing. Standing up to Towers...she'd never even imagined that she could. But Shadow had become her second Towers...her second chance. "Don't you dare blame me for things that you do. You make your own decisions. I don't make them for you. And I will not take responsibility for your choices. I'm not stupid; I doubt that I will win this. Make no mistake, though. I'm not going down easy. There are people I love out there, people I'm not afraid to die for." Maraya placed a knife in each hand.

"Prepare yourself, hedgehog. This is what **you've** chosen."

* * *

Sonic grinned as the pyramid's doors opened and the first of Eggman's robots appeared through the entrance. "Well, at least we know he saw our video." He looked around. "Wonder where Shadow is, though..."

Terell smirked. "Knowing Maraya as well as I do, something tells me he's a bit busy. We might not see him for a while."

Tails gasped. "There's no way Maraya can win a fight against Shadow!"

He sighed. "I normally wouldn't think so, either. But we don't know for sure. She's a lot tougher than you remember, Tails. And..."

"What?" Everyone's attention focused on him.

"She knows we're here. Me. And Tails." He shook his head. "Worst decision Eggman ever made, telling her. She'll blow this place up before she lets them touch us. Even if she's not sure that she'll get out."

A missile flew overhead, missing the group by feet. Their warning. "No time to turn back now. Our objective is to get to Maraya. Sonic, you and I will go ahead and clear a way in. Tails, we'll need backup from the X-Tornado."

"Got it!" The kitsune raced off.

Terell turned to Amy and Knuckles. You two will have to follow and make sure nothing comes up from behind-" Another explosion rocked the ground nearby, cutting him off.

"Well, well. Agent Stevens."

He whirled around. To his amazement, a group of Mobian soldiers stood there, along with their leader-a white bat.

"Rouge? What are you doing here?" Amy demanded.

"Maraya's on contract. We got a call, we're here. Since we've got the same mission, I figure we can help each other. Besides, you'll need someone who knows how to handle Shadow, won't you?"

"I know just how to handle him." Terell replied coolly.

"Now, now, we want to try to handle this as peacefully as possible."

"So then why aren't you on the inside as usual?"

Rouge sighed. "I tried bargaining with him, but he's suspicious now. Wouldn't tell me what or who he was after. It was a complete waste. I had to avoid Shadow at all times." She smirked. "Now I just have to avoid Eggman's cameras. If I'm seen, it'll likely blow my cover forever. Big deal. Like I haven't convinced him he could trust me hundreds of times before."

"Well, we might want to attack now. Or those robots will have us on defense in no time." Sonic pointed out.

Terell nodded, facing the base. "Let's move." _We're coming, Maraya._

The robots swarming from the base attacked. Rouge kicked one and it collided with another. Both exploded, clearing a path for Terell and Sonic. "Come on, boys." She winked at them before flying toward the base.

Sonic and Terell glanced at each other in slight disbelief before racing to the entrance.

* * *

Shadow could tell from the way she was fighting that something had changed. She wasn't just trying to best him; she was trying to kill him. The rage rolling off of her was so heavy he could feel it. Under the circumstances, he didn't blame her. There was one thing he couldn't understand, though. She could die, just like she'd said...but she didn't seem to care.

He sidestepped another knife, then rushed at her, grabbing her wrists. "Stop." She struggled, clawing and kicking, until finally he twisted her arms behind her, holding her tightly. Slowly, the fight drained out of her until he could let her go. She yanked away, facing the wall.

"Why won't you fight me, Shadow? Why?" She demanded.

"There's something else behind this. I don't know what it is-"

"I'm sorry."

"What?"

Maraya didn't turn around. "I told you I didn't want you to take out your past on me and I did the exact same thing just now. And I'm sorry. But I won't let you out of here without a fight. I can't make this easy for you."

Shadow frowned. "Well, then I have no choice." He shoved her, slamming her head into a pipe. The impact dazed her, but one loud click shocked her back. She looked down, then back at Shadow in disbelief.

"I thought we agreed no cuffs-"

"I have no choice." Maraya thrashed wildly, but the lock didn't give. "I have to do what I have to do. Cuffing you is the only way I can make sure you won't escape while I'm gone." He got up and rocketed away.

Maraya grinned darkly once he was gone, pulling one of the pins out from her hair and inserting it into the lock on the cuffs. "If you thought that was the end of this, Shadow..." The lock popped open with a click. "You got the wrong impression from me." She stood up, dusting herself off. "You don't even **threaten** my family and get away with it." The sounds of a fight echoed through the hallways, catching her attention. "Terell..." She sprinted in the direction of the battle.

* * *

**Cliffy! Take that! :P**

**No, really, I hate those. I promise, there'll only be a few more. Maybe.**

**Ciao now!**  
**Rya**


	9. Chapter Eight: Escape

**Hello, my peoples! :D  
I've been given no end of grief writing this chapter. The words stopped flowing, and I had ideas, but as soon as I sat down to write it, the words were gone. I finally broke the writers' block and can now somewhat proudly update this story. If you think the chapter turned out great, awesome. if not...just consider it filler. The next chapter will be more on target.**

**Thanks to my reviewers(and everyone who patiently put up with the hiatus)!  
**

**Nomad: Wouldn't you be? **** :P**

**Chaos: *giggles* Yeah...kinda had to happen. :P  
You're going to be slightly disappointed...but what you're going to see eventually is very characteristic of Egghead. :P Promise, though-my next story is verrrrry Sonic heavy! :D  
**

**Amicus: So do I. Although I feel like the poor guy is misunderstood. It works, though, because he's just...crazy. XD  
I don't know...who'd even look for hairpins? I'd take the big stuff...knives, guns, chainsaws, etc, first. (And if it gets to chainsaws, hairpins aren't even on my radar. :P)  
**

**Blackie: So much Shadow/Towers bashing; I love it! :P I...well, read what I wrote to Amicus... XP  
They would. Although...*gestures to Maraya* I have a feeling Xerius wouldn't be able to handle all...that...  
Heh heh...see, here's the thing...about those cliffies... XD *weakly* April Fools'...?  
Terell: *offended* I never said you did.  
Me: *emotionless* Get out, Dark. I don't even want you in my presence. *walks away*  
Maraya: *glaring at Dark* She told me what you did to Light. She might not feel anything at all for you, but I despise you. Get out, vermin. *stalks away after Rya*  
**

**Disclaimer: You all know the drill. The Rogues are my property as are Lucas and several other OCs(One of which appears in this chapter. Let's see if you can find them!). Sonic & Co. belong to Sega!  
**

* * *

Rouge stopped just inside the doors to the pyramid. "Okay. I did the hard work, getting you inside. This is where we split up."

Sonic grinned. "Well, then, I'll go find Egghead." He sped away. Rouge shook her head.

"We'll cover more ground separated. I'll get as far in as I can and snoop around a bit."

"Fine by me." Rouge shrugged. "If I find Maraya, we'll get to you as quickly as possible."

"No. Get her out."

"Do you really think she'll listen to me?"

"Pull your G.U.N. card, sedate her, lie to her, I don't care. Just get her out." He started to run, but stopped and turned back around. "Except for the sedation thing. I really don't want to have a conversation with her about that." He ran off.

Rouge shook her head again, then started down the hallway to her left.

* * *

Ábriel pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can see it on your face, Raechel. He went after her. After Jesse warned him not to."

Raechel nodded. "They're going to need help. Jesse called and let me know Towers authorized a troop to be sent after her." She rolled her eyes. "Ten soldiers. The girl's been kidnapped by one of his own agents and he sends ten men. Plus Rouge."

"Careful, now, you're starting to sound like me." Abriel looked at her. "Did you-"

"Already done."

As if on cue, Jasmín entered. "You wanted to see me?"

"I'm postponing your mission in light of a more pressing situation. G.U.N. has sent ten men to recover Maraya-a message to us that they don't _consider_ her rescue important. Sonic and his friends are helping, but they can only do so much. You and I will be going to help. Raechel can manage all of the chores here. You get your field time and brownie points with G.U.N. Be ready to go in five minutes."

She walked away. "Got it."

Jasmín wasn't pleased, she knew, but the fact that she wasn't arguing was a good thing. Arguing wasted time. Time was precious. Ábriel turned to Raechel. "I'll be leaving immediately. You will be able to handle this, yes?"

Raechel hugged her notepad to her chest, eyes shining. "Absolutely!"

With a small smile, Ábriel closed the door and started for her quarters.

* * *

Terell glanced around suspiciously. The hallways in the back were silent as a tomb, but that didn't mean they were safe. He squinted down the hallway, hearing a barely audible noise. Within seconds, he'd flattened himself against the wall, and out of the way of the source of the noise.

The red and black hedgehog.

Shadow.

"So. You're the best the Rogues has to offer." Shadow scoffed. "I'll wish you luck now. You'll need it."

Terell shrugged. "We'll see if you're saying that from down on the floor."

"You've already made one boast you can't back up. Don't make it two."

"I'm fully aware I issued a challenge. And I intend to follow through. Unless you were hoping I'd chicken out so you didn't have to?"

Shadow growled, throwing the first punch. Terell anticipated his movement, grabbing Shadow's arm and using his forward momentum to flip him onto the floor. "That was for Maraya." Shadow hopped back up only to receive a punch to the throat. "That was for me, though." The echidna bounced back and forth, weaving around all of Shadow's kicks and punches but not bothering to throw any of his own.

Finally, Shadow realized that Terell was simply toying with him. With another growl, he vanished. Terell, unsure where Shadow had gone, cautiously backed away from the spot. Suddenly, a kick to the back of his head sent him careening into a wall. He flipped up and whirled in the direction the attack had come from, but Shadow wasn't there.

Without warning, Shadow materialized in front of him, socking him in the gut. Terell stumbled back, winded. "Cheap shot."

Shadow smirked. "All's fair..."

Terell launched himself at Shadow and knocked him back.

"Why don't you just give up?" Shadow taunted. "You aren't ready—not to rescue Maraya, and certainly not to fight me." He ended his speech with a series of kicks the echidna skillfully dodged.

Terell refused to rise to the bait, shrugging. "Land another hit and you may have a point. As for Maraya, I'll keep coming back, as long as I have to, until she's back where she should be."

"Then it's time for me to end this." Shadow reappeared behind Terell again, using both feet to send him crashing through a wall. Not allowing him the chance to get up again, Shadow pinned him down with a foot on his chest. "Chaos...SPEAR!"

Terell mentally prepared himself for the attack. Sonic had told him about Shadow's attacks and Chaos energy. Without help, he knew there was no way he'd survive. It was almost in slow motion...Shadow preparing his stance...the chaos energy collecting...the spear forming...

...the black blur that slammed into the hedgehog milliseconds before the attack.

The Chaos Spear missed his head by inches, slicing cleanly through a support beam and several pipes behind him. He took a moment just to breathe and appreciate being alive before Maraya was next to him, yanking him up and squeezing him in a bone-crushing hug. "Terell!"

"Maraya..." He gasped. "...kinda...busy."

"Oh. Right." She laughed nervously, letting go.

"Sometimes you have the most awkward timing, Rya. Him first. Then me."

"Gotcha." She whirled on Shadow, who was clearly shocked she was there. "Oh, don't be stupid, Shadow. Any lock can be picked. And you could have killed my partner. **Again**. I didn't want to fight you again." She closed her eyes. "But now I have no choice."

"You heard him challenge me." He stood up, brushing himself off.

"Yeah, I did. But since you agreed, you get the both of us. And no way are you getting away without payback for cuffing me."

"So long as you understand what you're getting into. Which your little boyfriend here didn't."

Both Maraya and Terell blushed. "I knew what I was getting into." Terell stammered.

"I know what you did, Shadow, and it was low." She faced Terell. "He does this thing where he disappears and reappears with an attack."

Terell nodded. "Chaos Control."

She waved a hand at him, a dark grin forming on her face. "I know how to avoid those attacks. I'll just have to watch your back."

"Maraya. You're not fighting him. You're leaving. Get out of here and find Sonic."

Maraya shook her head. "Nearly a year together and you still order me around like you don't know me. I fight with you. Whether you like it or not." Terell glared at her, but she brushed it off. "I can't let you take him alone. You almost got your butt handed to you."

Shadow frowned. "Done yet?"

Terell and Maraya turned to him. "Sure." She quipped.

Shadow disappeared again. "Crouch!" Maraya commanded. Both the hedgehog and the echidna ducked, and when Shadow reappeared, the attack missed. He rocketed a few feet away, glaring.

"The laws of physics state that any given object accelerates due to gravity at the rate of 9.8 meters per second times the object's mass-" She ducked to avoid a fist from Shadow, Terell throwing one of his own over her head. "minus air resistance. So, based on Shadow's approximate weight, which I've estimated as being close to my own, if you can successfully avoid an attack from above-" She threw a knife at Shadow, nearly slicing off the end of a quill. "he'll be falling too quickly to attempt another attack. And if he does, it'll throw him off when he hits the ground. Which he will. Despite Chaos...Control, was it?"

"Yeah, that's right. Hey, when did you take physics?"

"Uh, grade school?"

Shadow, angered that they were holding a side conversation, hurled a Chaos Spear at the pair. It ripped through another support beam and a gas line, the hissing sound giving Maraya an idea. She grabbed Terell's arm and pulled him down the hallway. "Run!" She hissed at him. Shadow followed them, hurling attack after attack.

"He's so busy trying to hit us that he won't realize the support beams and major pipes have been chopped until it's too late. The building falls and you can get out of here without casualties." Maraya explained.

"You?"

"We. I meant we."

Terell nodded. "We'll try to stick to the outer walls then."

Maraya grinned at him as they sprinted around the corner.

* * *

The radio on Amy's sash crackled to life. "How are we doing, Amy?"

"Not so good, Tails. One of the soldiers got hurt really badly, and it seems like no matter how many robots we manage to take down, twice as many appear. It's getting rough."

She could hear the frown in his voice. "That's because more robots are leaving the base now than when we started attacking. Eggman's trying really hard to hold on to Maraya."

"I bet." An explosion nearby caught her focus. "That's not good. Tails, I gotta go. Another soldier went down. We're going to need help. See if you can get Maraya's commander to send someone."

"Got it." The X-Tornado flew back in the direction of Station Square.

Amy ran over to the soldier. The man clutched his side in pain. "Let me see." Slowly, he moved his hands, and she gasped. A gash ran up the side of his torso, oozing blood. She knelt down. "Medical kit, now." A soldier ran to get it.

Suddenly, the man's grimace of pain turned into a look of pure terror. Amy whirled to face a robot with its gun raised and ready to fire. She ran to fully block the soldier, bracing herself for the bullet when a rock the size of her own head flew through the robot's chest. It sank slowly to the ground, sparking and zapping, to reveal a scarlet fox and a black panther.

"Amy Rose, correct?" She nodded.

"I am Maraya's commander, Ábriel Montez, and this is one of Maraya's colleagues, Jasmín. We're here to help you."

"Thank goodness. We weren't doing so hot." Amy stepped back, gesturing to the man behind her. "Is there anything you can do?"

"Certainly." Ábriel stepped forward to the man, placing a hand on his head. Slowly, his eyes closed and she pressed her hand to his wound without hesitation. The area glowed a bright blue before the gash melded closed. She stood up, dusting her hands off. "Good to go."

Amy picked up her radio. "Tails, you there?"

"Yeah, what's going on?"

"Maraya's people are already here."

"Good. Turning around."

She nodded to Ábriel. "Thanks. Terell and Maraya are in there." She pointed to the pyramid. "I haven't heard much, which worries me, but I can't do anything."

Ábriel thought for a moment. "Knowing Maraya, she's busy in there on something. It's probably best that you don't go in. I will go and look, though. Soldier!" She barked. "Commanding officer."

"Rouge the Bat, G.U.N."

She nodded. "Good. Jasmín, You stay here and assist. I'll try to locate Rouge, Maraya, and Terell. Check in every 15 minutes." She smirked. "If this lasts that long." She vanished.

Jasmín waved over another soldier. "Get this guy out of here, and tell your men to retreat."

"Our commanding officer ordered us to stay here."

She pulled out her badge. "As an officer of the Rogues and by the authority of Commander Towers, G.U.N., I order you to make a retreat. He shouldn't have sent you in the first place, and he knows it. There is a response team specifically commissioned for the purpose that should have been sent with your officer."

"Towers sent us, so you have no jurisdiction here. He sent a team perfectly capable of recovery and hand-picked for this mission-"

"Oh, what bull. You guys are clearly rookies. Are you even done with training yet?" She pointed as she spoke. "Three of your men were wounded, but cover is all around you. Those rocks, the cliff formations, the dunes, heck, even the base itself provides good cover, but you all sat out in the open like walking targets. You're lucky no one's been killed. This guy doesn't play around; he will fight with everything he has to complete his objectives while you use up all of what you should be fighting him with on fighting me." She lifted her arms, flinging a wave of earth behind her that launched several robots back into the walls of the base. "Without looking; that's how it's done. Either man up and fight or leave. I don't have time for field training at the moment. But I will expect to see you in my Tuesday classes from here on out." She inspected his tag. "Lieutenant Rivas."

The soldier lifted his radio, glaring at her. "Full retreat, I repeat, ordering a full retreat. Wounded first."

* * *

"Maraya! Where are we going?" Terell swerved around a corner to keep up.

"Around. As far as I know, we've knocked out the corner structures of two sides of this pyramid. I just need to find the beam or beams in the center that bear the most weight in the building. Not easy, since I didn't get much time to look around."

Terell's radio let out a beep. "Stevens, you copy?"

He pressed the button. "Yeah. What's going on?"

Ábriel laughed. "That's what I need to find out. What are you up to?"

"Maraya's trying to knock out the supports and topple the building. We may need explosives, though."

"Smart girl. I got Sonic and Rouge out, so we're covered on our end. Do you know where you are?"

"Near the center. Rya's trying to find the main load bearing pillars in the center so she can take it out."

"Okay. I'll be there to help soon." A pause. "Terell, let Maraya know that according to our schematics, there are two pillars in the center that hold up the bulk of the weight. About four hundred feet apart from each other, two hundred feet from the sides; reinforced concrete."

"Won't even be a problem. Thanks. You need to know we are being pursued. Shadow."

"Ah. Okay. Coming in." Terell slid the radio back into its clip.

"Got it." Maraya whispered, pointing to a thick, concrete pillar. "And here comes our bulldozer." She hopped up. "What took you so long, slowpoke?" Five kunai whizzed from her hand before she grabbed Terell and took cover behind the pillar. True to what she'd hoped, Shadow sliced it clean through.

"Give up, Alder! There's no way I'm letting you out of here!"

"Unfortunately, that's not your choice!" Maraya shoved Terell to get him going, then launched herself at Shadow.

Shadow easily blocked the knives she threw as she ran. "You know you'll have to do better then that to defeat me-" He cut off abruptly when he noticed she'd disappeared. He looked all around, then spun...only to have Maraya's fist connect with his face. He fell back, crashing into a pile of boxes.

She shook her hand out. "Man, that hurt. Gotta watch my hands." She flexed her fingers. "Hope it felt the same for you."

Shadow growled. "You'll pay for that."

"I'm sure I will." She answered quietly, before running off.

And once again, Shadow was left speechless.

* * *

**And...cut!**

**Technically not a cliffy! I'm saving those for later! :D  
**

**I will have the next chapter up soon!  
**

**Later!  
Rya  
**


	10. Chapter Nine: Square One

***dancing* I did it, I did it, oh yeah, yeah, yeah! This chapter was SO much fun to write and the words were flowing faster than I could type (at a pitiful 17 wpm. I'm working on it; don't judge me.) But if you can tell from my babbling, _this is a turning point chapter!_ This thing is almost done(and by almost, I mean about halfway)! :O Crazy, huh, since I've been writing for almost 6 months...yeesh.**

**Anyhoo, no one guessed the OC! -_- C'mon people, I know you can do it! :D They're super duper important later on...in another story. *hangs head in shame* But still! You have another shot, though! There's one more in this chapter! :O  
**

**Thanks to those who reviewed!  
**

**Strife: :D That makes me really happy! Thanks!  
**

**Nomad: *giggles*  
Yeah, things are starting to pick up a bit! But if you think it's reached full speed...hold your hat tighter! XD  
*shrugs* If he learned, I wouldn't have a story!  
Shadow: *"really?" face***  
**It's true, it's true. You can't deny it.**

**Chaos:  
Shadow: "She didn't outsmart me, and I AM still ultimate!"  
Maraya: "Oh, admit it, I get a point. A big point."  
I have a feeling they'd be frenemies the entire way...competing to see who could beat up the most people or take the hardest hits or something... :P  
**

**raeweis: *nervous laughter* About that cliffy...uhh...  
Yeah, he is. I personally like writing scenes about people who can take Shadow!  
**

**Amicus: Thanks! :D Fight scenes are fun!  
**

**Blackie: Yeah, you did! XD But if you do...it's only because there's a little piece of you inside every one of your characters! Which, if you really think about it, is actually kinda creepy... :P  
ZAP! *tacklehug* I haven't done this in a while... *****talking directly down to him*** feels good to get back to normal!  
Dark, I'd like you to meet...uh, well...her. *jerks a thumb at Jasmín*  
Jasmín: "Well, I don't know when I've been more insulted!"  
*smirking* I do! :P  
Jasmín: *stomps off*  
*giggles* Yes, and you make Shadow such a good case when you call the man he's working for "Egghead".  
*drapes an arm about Sierra's shoulders* And I like her, Katherine! Hey, by the way, this brings up a question...well, two: Has anyone ever called you Kat? And can I? Pleeease? *puppy dog eyes*  
Maraya: "We have fans, Terell!" *waves*  
Terell: "..."

**Disclaimer(taken from part of Blackie's review and review response. Father Darkness is the property of BlackSandHeart.):  
FD *raises an eyebrow at Blackie then smirks as Maraya and I walk away* "The best part was that Light didn't see it coming."**  
**Me: *overhears Dark * "HRRRRAUGH!" *rips a kunai from Maraya's belt and flings it at his head* "That's it, I'm done with this apathy crap! Die, fool!" *charges at FD*  
Maraya: "Well, I guess I'll have to take over while our author is otherwise occupied." *puts on authors' hat* "I feel...so...powerful..."  
Terell: "Ry! We got an emergency! Maraya has the author's cap! RY!"  
*crashing sounds and cartoonish cat screech*  
Maraya: *God voice* "Terell Stevens!" *floats, pointing at him*  
Terell: O.o *shaking* "Y-yes, Rya?"  
Maraya: *still God voice* "You will do the disclaimer." *sternly* "Properly."  
Terell: "O-okay." *clears throat* "S-sonic and company belong to SEGA. However, the R-rogues and Lucas and Jesse and another character introduced in this chapter belong to Maraya Prower."  
Maraya: "Good."  
Jasmín: *coming in* "What on Earth-" *freezes*  
Maraya: *cackles madly***

* * *

Terell looked up. "Maraya! I thought I was going to have to come look for you!"

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not. You've been acting weirdly since...well, since I found you."

"Look, I'm just tired. I've been through a lot lately. I just need to focus on escaping."

Terell looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn't. "Okay, so the last beam will take some time, both to get to and get rid of."

"I can help with that." Ábriel leaned in a door frame nearby. "You're not all that far away."

"Ábriel!" Maraya hopped up, saluting. "Good to see you, Commander!"

She smiled. "You have no idea. Let's go."

The three ran through the corridors, but as they entered the area with the last pillar, Maraya started to feel nervous. "Something feels off about this. Shadow's tailing us all this time, and then suddenly disappears?" She shook her head. "I hit him hard, but not that hard. He's around here somewhere."

Terell shook his head. "No way. He doesn't know what our objective is, so he won't know where to look for us."

"That's what you think." Shadow stood on a scaffolding above them. "You're becoming perceptive, Alder, and it's really irritating. Although your partner should be grateful; he'd be dead by now if it weren't for that."

Maraya waved a hand, whispering to Terell and Ábriel. "You go. I can handle him."

"No, you can't. You're not-"

Maraya's eyes flashed. "Shut up, Stevens. Before you say something that will jeopardize this mission. I'm still his main target, one who he needs **alive**, so there's no freaking way he's gonna kill me. You two don't have that same protection. So get out of here and let me finish the bloody assignment!"

"I'm just worried about you!"

"I don't need you to be my mother! I need you to be my partner and **trust me**!"

Reluctantly, Terell nodded his agreement.

"Now, I have an idea. I'm going to test it, leaving my communicator on. I want you to set a charge on the pillar and then get at least a hundred feet away. If my plan works, I'll press call on the com and we'll all get the heck out of here. If not, I'll press call twice and I want you to blow that charge and then scram. Got it?"

Ábriel flashed a thumbs up and the two disappeared.

Maraya moved behind a pipe farther away. "Hey Shadow! Catch this!" She threw a knife before intentionally firing just above his head, watching with satisfaction as he jumped down to her level.

"You're up to something, Alder. Where are your friends?"

"Getting help." She stepped out into the open. "I can handle myself."

"How can you guarantee I won't just disappear?"

"Because if you disappear, I disappear. Eggman won't be too pleased with that, will he?" She entered her stance.

"As if I care what makes the Doctor happy-"

"Oh, but you do." She took a deep breath, readying herself. Either this would work or she'd end up dead. Neither option looked too good. "He has information on your dear, sweet, Maria Robotnik, doesn't he? And you'll do **anything** to get it." She tsked, channeling her inner Jasmín. "Pity, you may never see her again anyway."

All Shadow saw was red. She was looking for death. There was no way she would say that and expect to live. Without hesitation, he launched a series of attacks that she quickly dodged.

She yawned. "I know you can do better than that."

He ran in closer, trying to hit her as hard as he could; she only blocked his attacks, rather than return some of her own.

Something was wrong. A tiny feeling in his mind told him to back off. _Maraya? Taunting him? And not fighting back? It's not like her._ He started to calm down, but just as quickly, her words flooded back, along with images of Maria and of the ARK invasion.

A smirk lifted his mouth as his fist connected, hard, with her stomach and sent her flying back into a pillar.

* * *

Terell listened to the sounds of the scuffle over the com, wincing when he heard Maraya cry out in pain. "I told her she wouldn't be able to deal with him." He started pacing. "If she doesn't make it out of there, Rynn will never forgive me. I'll never forgive myself."

"Relax. She was going to get hit." Ábriel leaned back against the wall. "Shadow's a good fighter."

"She wouldn't get hit unless he let her. She's plenty quick." He froze. "Something has to be wrong. She was acting strange...and now she sends us away and insists the best way is for her to fight on her own. She's never shut us out. Until now."

"Look, Terell, she was right. Shadow could get a lucky hit on one of us and use us against her. Or he could release a Chaos attack that we wouldn't see and she could get hurt trying to save one of us. It's happened before. She does it all the time." She stared off into space. "Sometimes I wish she wasn't so willing to sacrifice herself."

The sounds of objects breaking filtered through the speaker.

Ábriel winced. " But Shadow can't afford to lose her. So she's...relatively safe."

Terell stood still. "That's not good enough for me. I have to go help."

"No. You don't. You'll stay here, and that's an order."

"She's my partner and my friend. She needs-"

"What she needs is for you to stay right here and keep your butt out of the line of fire and out of her way. You know better, Terell. You've been an agent for almost four years now. And you know why you can't go. You'll put her in danger if you go."

"She's already in danger."

"I'm not arguing this point with you, Agent. You'll stay here."

"Or else?"

"None necessary. There is no other option." She turned to pick up the radio. When she stood back up, he was down the hall.

She sprinted after him, clipping the radio to her belt. "Stevens!" He ignored her.

* * *

Maraya pushed herself off the ground. Normally, she'd be worried-Shadow wasn't speaking, just attacking-but she had a job to do. She spun around a beam just before he punched, leaving a dent shaped like his fist in the space her head had just been and coming face to face with...

Terell?

"Why are you here?" She hissed.

"You needed help, and-"

"I didn't need help! If I'd needed help, I would've yelled a mayday!" She was getting mad. "I may be your subordinate, but I gave an order during an emergency situation and you are to abide by it! Now I have to cover for you and myself!"

"Cover? Maraya, I can handle myself!"

"Not if you can't follow a simple instruction to stay away, you can't. Get out of here! Now!"

Terell glared. "So this is the thanks-"

Maraya grabbed him by his ear, yanking him down. "Chaos attacks, Terell. One hits you, just one, and I have no way to help you. You can't pay attention. You'll be too worried about me and I don't need that! I can do this on my own!" She peered around the pillar. "You shouldn't be here."

"What's wrong, Maraya?" Shadow shouted. "Afraid now?"

"I can't believe you, Terell. I trusted you to trust me. And...and you couldn't even do that."

"Fine! I'm gone!" He stood up.

"No-"

Shadow appeared out of nowhere, aiming a Chaos Spear at the pair. Maraya pushed Terell out of the way of the attack, gritting her teeth as the edge of it scraped her arm. "You really thought you could hide from me?"

"I was hoping." She flipped up, relieved to notice Terell had disappeared.

"You're not getting away from me, Alder. I don't even know why you try!"

"I could explain it to you, but you'd never understand!" She lashed out, swinging as hard as she could. Shadow skidded back a few feet.

"I wouldn't understand?" He glared. "Try me."

"Like you'd listen. Or hear."

"They're the same thing!"

"No, they're not." She took her stance again. "Let's just get this over with."

"Yeah, let's."

Before either of them could move, though, Terell reappeared and kicked Shadow's legs out from under him. "Go, Rya!" Shadow flipped Terell underneath him, slamming his head back into the echidna's face.

She started running towards them. "I can't!"

Terell's hold went slack, and Shadow yanked himself up and dragged the echidna up as well, then looped an arm around Terell's throat and held his gun up.

"Move and he dies."

Maraya froze.

Terell began to struggle. "Don't listen, Rya! Get away!"

"After what you said," Shadow began, feeling anger flow through him again, "I should teach you a lesson."

His hand shook, which Maraya picked up on instantly. If she could get him angry again...

"I didn't say anything that wasn't true, did I? He does have that information." She gestured to herself and Terell. "And you are willing to do anything to get it."

As Terell continued to struggle, Maraya noticed her opening. Shadow loosened his grip slightly, his gun hand going the tiniest bit limp. In a flash, she'd kicked the side of his head and wrested the gun from his fingers, pulling Terell away.

"You are as close as family to me, Terell. I love you, and I'm so, so sorry. But you need to trust me, now. Run and don't look back. Don't stop. I'll be alright. That, I can promise." She hugged him tightly before shoving him away toward the exit.

And with that, she ran back towards Shadow, firing a bullet into the charge packed against the support pillar.

* * *

Outside, the others heard the explosion and watched with glee as the building leaned towards one corner, slooooooowly came down, and crumbled like it was made of building blocks.

* * *

The dust slowly settled. "Maraya! Terell! Are you okay?!"

"Commander?"

"Yes, it's me! Are you okay?"

Coughing, Maraya responded. "Yes!" Ábriel started walking closer. "Terell is near you! Get to him first! He may need help!"

Ábriel looked around, spotting Terell unconscious under a beam. "Maraya, I need you to stay calm, and follow the sound of my voice, okay? Terell will be fine. He's banged up a bit, but he'll be okay. Start coming towards me. I'll get us all out of here."

"No, you won't."

Maraya shrieked as Shadow's hand latched onto her ankle. She grabbed a pipe, holding on while he tried to drag her back farther into the rubble.

"Shadow? Is that you? You don't have to do this. We can work this out. Just let her go." Ábriel started feeling her way towards Maraya.

"Stop, Commander!" Maraya shouted. "You will have to choose, and I'm telling you to get Terell and get out of here, now!"

Ábriel ignored her, coming closer. "What do you want, Shadow?"

"Nothing you can give me. But her...she can. One way or another."

"How can you be so sure? There's never just one solution to any problem, Shadow. You can ask others for help. Maybe I can help you." He didn't respond.

The beams around them groaned. "Do you hear that, Commander? The place still isn't stable! You need to get Terell to safety, and you need to do it now!" The pile began to shift, metal screeching and twisting, pillars scraping each other.

"Maraya." Ábriel was getting closer. "I'm trying to help you. Both of you."

"You can only do so much." Her voice was strained from the effort it took to hang onto the pipe. "You can teleport me out, but Shadow is touching me and he'll end up right alongside us! This pile-" she grunted as she gripped tighter, "-this pile can fall at any minute, and Terell is still inside. Make the right choice, Ábriel, or I'll take away an option!"

"What are you talking about?" Ábriel's hand brushed Maraya's.

"No! LEAVE!" Maraya let go of the pipe, flying backwards and hitting her head with a thunk on one of the concrete beams.

"Maraya!" Ábriel panicked, scrambling forward.

"She's so stupid, don't you agree? As if either of you could ever understand." Shadow taunted as he picked Maraya's unconscious body up, flinging her over his shoulder.

"I'm trying to understand, Shadow."

"You never will. Not until you've experienced betrayal and pain. Real pain. You all were the lucky ones." He sneered. "Up until now."

"How can you make that decision? You can't judge other people based on your perceptions! You have no idea what has happened in her past-"

"And I don't really care. I have my own reasons, my own objectives, and nothing will stand in my way. Go take care of the person you **can** save. Chaos...CONTROL!" The pair vanished.

* * *

Shadow had waited three hours, and she still wasn't waking up. He'd never admit it, but it was starting to worry him. He didn't know how hard she might have hit her head. Finally, he decided to wake her up on his own.

Maraya groaned as her eyes opened. She lifted a hand to rub her jaw. "I do appreciate being able to talk. Maybe slap me lighter next time?"

Shadow rolled his eyes. "I already wish I'd left you unconscious."

"Heh, you and me both. Should I even bother asking where we are?"

"I don't have to answer your questions. Just be thankful you're still breathing after those things you said."

"I apologize."

"What?"

"I'm sorry. I said those things on purpose to get you mad."

He tried to glare, but failed miserably. The most he could manage was shock. "What?"

She sighed. "Shadow, I knew I wasn't getting out of there. Call it a hunch, a premonition, a really lucky guess, whatever, but I knew I was staying a prisoner. Neither you nor Eggman would let me go easily. It'd be a fight for every inch, with Solaris knows how many casualties. I didn't want that. I figured the best thing I could do was to get them out or force them away from me."

"That's why..."

"That's why I barely struggled. And why I hardly fought. And also why I ran back towards you. I just needed the building to collapse and separate me from my team." She bit her lip. "My guess is my partner came after me instead of listening to me and my commander tried to stop him but couldn't. So they ended up inside when the place fell." She looked down. "My intention wasn't to hurt you, but I didn't have anything else. I needed you to retaliate. Violently. And I would do the same thing if I had to do everything over again. But I know what kind of pain even a few words can cause...and for any bad memories I brought you, I am truly sorry."

Shadow was silent.

She gulped. "I will accept whatever you decide to do as punishment, if that's-"

"You...you..."_ ...are one of the bravest soldiers I've ever met._

"However, though what I said was inappropriate, it was not a lie. You traded me for a couple of files."

"Don't you dare judge me. You have no idea what I've-"

"What you've been through? Shadow, take a look at the last few days. It isn't you who's been in danger. It isn't you who's been ripped away from everything you knew." She looked him in the eyes. "I hate this, Shadow. I hate feeling weak and helpless. And all you've done this entire time is make me weak and helpless. What you've been through." She turned away. "You think I know nothing about pain? Anguish? Loss? Betrayal? Shadow, you don't know-you can't even **begin** to know-the truth." _The nightmares...the nightmares... _She took a shaky breath.

"I really don't care about your past. All I'm interested in is finding and protecting Maria."

Maraya was silent.

"You used her alias Mary Dawson back in the base your first day there. I know you know who she is. There's a connection there somewhere. I will figure it out."

"If you care about her or really even know her, you will let it go."

"**Let it go? LET IT GO?**" He glared at her. "Do you have any idea how impossible it is for me to do that? One day she's there and the next she's not, and you may be my only way to get to her-"

"That's just it." Maraya's voice stayed level, her eyes trained on him. "You use a phrase like "get to her" and expect me to trust you? Shadow, I don't know you. After what I've been through with you, I don't trust you. And I will never intentionally put her in danger. Not for my country, not for my agency, and certainly not for you. And if you take the time to think about it, you'll notice that not once have I used my knowledge as leverage. Not once have I bargained with a life that wasn't mine. I'm serious about protecting her. And you'll have a rough time ahead if you think you can force anything out of me." Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not afraid of you."

"**You **have** no idea** what I'm capable of or what I'm willing to do to find her. And out here, there's no one to save you from me." Shadow snatched up his gun and left the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"If Rynn were here...he could find a way help you. I can't." She lay her head on the table, her voice so quiet she could hardly hear herself. "I'm so, so sorry."

* * *

_Flashback_

"_Maraya! Jesse's going to be here any minute!"_

_Maraya shushed the girl, laughing. "I know! Why do you think I'm hiding?" She stood up, crossing the room to look out of the window. "I love it here. I never want to leave. To go back." Her smile fell._

"_Hey, hey." The blonde girl sat on the bed. "A month, max. Then you'll be gone forever, and he can't touch you anymore!"_

"_Easy for you to say."_

"_You've come so far, Rya. Don't let him change you. Don't give him that power."_

"_You know what? You're right! And I can't wait to see Rynn again, too!" She ran to the dresser, ripping out her clothes and stuffing them in her empty trunk. The other girl giggled before coming over and folding the clothes, neatly stacking them inside._

_The door opened and a brunette woman entered. "You ready to go, Rya?"_

"_Well, yes and no. I don't know when I'll see you again."_

"_Well, actually, it'll be in a little over a month. we've been here for three years. Jesse thinks it's about time for us to move again."_

"_Well, she's right. And...well, I've already picked a new place."_

"_You have?"_

"_Well, she said about a month, right? That's because in a month I'll be leaving G.U.N. and they won't be able to track me. If they can't track me, they can't track you."_

"_Precisely." Jesse leaned in the door frame. "So it's good you got to spend some time together."_

"_Rya." The girl hugged Maraya tightly. "Forgive and forget. Let your past be your past, okay?"_

"_I'll make no promises, but I will try."_

"_It's a start."Jesse and the brunette smiled before leaving the room. "Hurry, Rya."_

_The blonde pulled back. "Maraya, I have a favor to ask of you."_

_"What?"_

_"There's a friend of mine...he's in more trouble than I am."_

_"Do I know him?"_

_"Yes. He's...he's the one G.U.N. found."_

_"Oh..."_

_"Look, Ry, I know it's asking a lot, but if you could find him and bring us back together-"_

_"Consider it done. It'll break a few protocols, but since when have I ever followed the rules?" She giggled. "I feel like I should remember him, though..."_

_"You only saw him once before they moved him. Your parents were as scared as everyone else. I guess you and I saw something in him that no one else did."_

_"I guess so. My parents weren't afraid of much..."_

_"**Rya!**"_

_"**Coming!**" Maraya saluted the girl, "Later!"_

_The trunk thudded on each step as she dragged it down._

* * *

Maraya rose to face the door when it opened again. To her surprise, though, it was not Shadow who entered.

"Lucas?!"

* * *

**And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a CLIFFAY! :P Take THAT!**

**Chapters from here on out will be updated as regularly as is possible. I have a lot of the rest of the story written already, so it's just a matter of editing and proofreading and editing...et cetera...  
**

**But before I go, I would like to take a minute to give a special thanks to everyone who's read (and read and reviewed :D) this story! Writing is a long and difficult process, but knowing that there are people out there reading this and maybe even getting a few minutes of happiness from what I've written keeps me going.  
So, thank you!  
**

**Love ya,  
Ry Prower  
**


	11. Chapter Ten: Old Fights, New Goals

**Hello, folks! I have a really good chapter here! :D Remember how I told you before that the words just flowed from my fingers? It happened again! I love it when I don't have writer's block!**

**Thanks to reviewers! And there is a note at the bottom, so please don't skip it!**

**Raeweis: Thanks! :D He had to pop up again, y'know? :P**

**Chaos: Pshh, he wouldn't do that! :P**  
***nods* But, in his defense, we've all done things without thinking them through, no?**  
**Frenemies are so much more interesting! :D**

**Disclaimer: Sonic, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Eggman, Towers, Espio, Vector, Charmy, Cream, Cheese...**  
***five minutes later***  
**...and any other characters I may have forgotten belong to SEGA. However, Lucas, Maraya and Rynn Alder, Raechel, Ábriel, Jasmin, Terell, and several other characters unnamed yet in this story belong to me. Except one. Which belongs to SEGA. It'll all make sense later...much later.**

* * *

"You're doing well, Agent Stevens." The nurse removed the blood pressure cuff. "All of your tests have come back normal. You should be out of the bay in a few days." She smiled. "Possibly even sooner."

"Thanks." Terell relaxed as the nurse left the room, leaning back and closing his eyes.

"Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, sir?" The nurse looked at him, puzzled.

"I'm looking for Terell Stevens. Agent Rynn Alder."

"Oh! Yes, the room I just left. He's doing much better."

"Good." Rynn crossed the hallway, swinging the door open and slamming it closed behind him. "Stevens!"

Terell jumped. "Rynn-"

"The nurse told me you were feeling better. That's good. That's very good. Because I-" He shook his head, pacing. "My sister got grabbed under your watch! I only left because I thought you were going to protect her!"

"Look, I tried!"

"You aren't supposed to try, you're supposed to do it!"

"I'm sorry we aren't all perfect." Terell glared.

Rynn glared back. "Don't even try to turn this around to me, Stevens. Ball's in your court. Accept responsibility for your own actions."

"I was hit, Rynn. What did you expect me to do?"

"I expected you to do better on the recovery. You...her plan was a good one. It would have driven her and Shadow out into the open. They wouldn't have had any choice but to leave and you could have tracked them from there. Instead, it took them three hours to dig you and Commander Montez out and he got away with her in tow."

"And can you honestly say you would have done any different?" There was a pause.

Rynn sighed, sitting in one of the chairs. "No, I can't."

The two were silent for a moment before Terell spoke. "Rya...when she saw me...she was really disappointed."

"You felt the same way when it happened to you."

"I did. But knowing she's in trouble...it kills me. Ábriel was right; she puts herself in danger far too often. Sometimes it's like she's...I don't know...punishing herself?"

"It kills me too." A strange look crossed his face. "But she's tough. She can handle a challenge. She enjoys them."

"Something wrong?"

"No." Rynn's expression was unreadable. "Rest up; we're going after her again soon." He left with a wave. Lost in thought, he wandered up and down the hallways until stopping outside of the door to Ábriel's office. He knocked, entering.

Ábriel looked up. "Rynn? Something I can do for you?"

"Yeah." He stood by the door, arms crossed. "I have some questions for you, and I'm not leaving without answers."

* * *

"How did you get here?"

"It's not that hard to track you, Rya."

"Don't call me that. You lost that privilege a long time ago."

"Still sore about that, huh?"

"That's a bit mild of a description for my taste. It's the reason why I will bring you down. You don't hurt my family and get away with it. Betraying **me** was low enough, but your **own** family?" She shook her head. "You're clearly not here for a heart to heart, or to fight me; otherwise you'd have some real muscle with you. So what is it?"

"I'm on a special mission from Towers, **Maraya**. This is not about me. Turns out the files on Little Miss Maria got snatched somehow and he wants me to find a lead. And we all know you know where she is. Even if we can't prove it."

"That can't be your mission, either. Seriously. You think I'm gonna talk to you?" Maraya laughed. "Wow, you're less intelligent then I gave you credit for."

"Look, I know we've had some bad blood in the past, but I was hoping-"

"What? That I'd sell someone out so you could scrape up a few bucks? No. I haven't forgotten what it feels like yet." She smiled sweetly. "I will tell you this, though. You'll never find her."

"I don't doubt it. At least, I won't without your help. You know how to disappear, and you know how to make others disappear; it's frustrated myself and Towers for ages now."

"I'm glad; someone has to stop low lives like you two."

"Still not sugarcoating things, are you?"

"I call it like I see it. Consider it a favor that I don't beat around the bush."

Shadow, walking down the hall, heard voices coming from Maraya's room. He pressed his ear to the door.

Lucas leaned against the wall. "Then I won't, either. Don't you want out, Maraya? You can't help people from in here. I can get you out. And I can do it now."

"I don't think so, first of all because I have no doubt in my mind that you'll run as fast as you can at the first sign of trouble, and second because **I don't need your help**. Either I will escape on my own or my brother will come and help me. Neither way involves you." She turned to him. "Look, you're wasting your time and breath if you think you're changing my mind. I've said no, I mean no, and Towers himself couldn't extract the information from me."

"You've always been decisive; I like that about you. But for once in your life, just once, Maraya, think about yourself. You're always putting yourself in the line of fire for everyone else and no one does that for you. It's always been like that."

Maraya started fuming.

"I'm trying to help **you**. I'm trying-"

"You are trying to help yourself!" She returned. "I **choose** to put myself out there to protect others! I **choose** to not expect that from anyone else! And have you ever, just once, considered that I save people **because I can**? Because I'm in a position to? I couldn't save my parents because **you** made sure I couldn't! So don't you **dare **think-don't you even **imagine**, in any part of that sick, twisted mind of yours, that you are doing me **any** favors **now** by offering me a 'deal' that requires me to **betray the people I love and protect**! She is **family** to me, Lucas, and there's no way you'll touch her as long as I'm alive!"

"That's not what I want! Entirely." He admitted. "I'm here because I want to prove that I do care-about you."

"You never have before. And your request proves that you still don't."

"Is that what you really think?"

"Think?" She laughed mirthlessly. "No, Lucas, I **know**. Towers, much as I hate the man, does have one thing going for him: he never lied to me. He was honest my entire time there on purpose, because the truth was more painful than lies. I asked him, Lucas. After I left, because I wanted closure. Do you know how much it hurt that the one person I thought was my friend-the **one person** who made me **believe** I could trust him all those years-was the one who proposed they be executed in the first place? And the one who suggested to the man who abused me on a regular basis that I should attend my own parents' executions? You knew **everything**, because you were the only person in that place who I told. Jesse didn't even know half of the things that man did to me, but you did; you knew **every single one**. And in a normal person, that might spark a little compassion. You've done nothing for me but make my life hard."

"I was trying to help you! He was doing horrible things to you and you weren't talking; you weren't planning on telling him anything! I thought if I could force you to tell him, it'd stop!"

"Are you even hearing yourself?" She asked quietly. "You are not going to shift the blame for my parents' murders onto me or lighten it on yourself. You are directly responsible, and I will hold you accountable, whether it feels good for you or not. Be the man you claim you are and own your own mistakes, because even you should be able to hear how idiotic that sounds-that I'd talk because my parents were dead."

"Fine, I told him to. I wasn't thinking. But I fought for your life, Maraya, back when you were first sent to G.U.N. headquarters. He was going to kill you!"

"I wish he had. I would have been proud to die knowing I'd done the right thing."

"You didn't, though! You were the one who succeeded in saving it! That-that **thing** is a danger to the world! You've certainly had firsthand experience with that, haven't you?"

"What?"

Lucas started laughing. "You still haven't figured it out? Well, I'm sure you will. You are pretty smart." He shook his head. "Your parents were traitors. You should have been proud to watch them die."

Her voice was dangerously soft. "They were my **parents**, and I respect them for doing what was right. As did I. Those people were all innocent, and that massacre never should have happened."

"Those soldiers were **protecting** the innocent people. People who might have died had it ever escaped! People who you know now, who might have been killed!"

"At the cost of other innocent people-and because they were **afraid**. You were all wrong. I don't remember much, but I do remember meeting him. He was innocent, too-not a liability or danger to anyone, and he knew the extent of his power even then. But he didn't use it to hurt anyone, and he never would have, had Towers not interfered. There was nothing to be afraid of. And if there was, well, then they should have considered that **before** they authorized the project. Fear does not justify the deaths of over one hundred people. So what other crap do you have to spew before you leave?" Maraya was shaking with rage.

"Not everyone is as reckless and 'fearless' as you, okay?" He sighed. "Maraya, don't be petty. The past is the past. Towers wants you to know that there's always a place for you at G.U.N. if you change your mind."

"You can tell that self-righteous, murdering creature that he can take his offer and shove it right back up his-" Maraya rubbed her hands together, stopping herself. "So close, **so** close. I **am** improving. One slips out every now and then."

Lucas stared.

"You may tell him that I will never work for G.U.N. under his command. He makes a mockery of our entire defense system. And of everything and everyone he touches. Thank goodness the Rogues are an exception." She tilted her head. "And please don't misquote me. I want him to get my message word for word this time."

"You're making a mistake."

"No, I'm not. I'm fixing one of his."

"Maraya, withholding this information is illegal."

"Like you said, you can't prove I have it. And Towers knows I don't crack under torture. But don't forget to mention that to him for me; he might need a reminder." She put her hands on her hips, tilting her head. "And I seriously doubt law enforcement could do anything to me at the moment, anyway."

"I was hoping you'd be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" She scoffed. "You don't have one thing you can hold over me and you know it, but that's the best you've got? Give it up,** I will not tell you**."

"Traitor. You're a disgrace to your agency and your country, just like Mark and Dierdre."

Lucas had never seen her move so fast. Before he even registered her movements, she'd whipped out her gun, flown across the room, and used it as a club, hitting him square in the face. He slammed into the wall and slid down to the floor, hands over his nose.

"You have no right to use their names." She moved back to the table, unstrapping her holster and knife belt.

"They're meaningless." Lucas wiped blood from his mouth, laughing mockingly. "They didn't deserve to live after what they did, and, in my opinion, neither do you or your brother. You should have died with them. I'll find her eventually, **Rya**, and when I do, I'll destroy you all. Towers hates you with everything in him, and I'll help him get revenge on all of you. And I'll make sure you're there to see it." He stopped. "What are you doing?"

"I don't really have much to live for, Lucas." She rolled up her sleeves. "But there are a few things that keep me going. Rynn, obviously. And the Rogues. I'm lucky to have found family with them." She leveled her gaze at him. "But there's another big reason, and that's getting rid of you. I'll do that the right way. And you can thank my parents for that, because they made me promise I'd always be fair. Otherwise you'd never have been alive this long. Get up."

Lucas tried to hide his fear. "What?"

Maraya's voice was icy. "Get. Up. When I kill you, you'll be standing up, fighting for your life like a man. I can't stand cowards, and you've always been one. Towers has let you be one. Well, today, I'm forcing you not to be. You think you can take me? Destroy me? I'm giving you a chance. Whether you leave this room alive is entirely up to you now; your fate is in your own hands."

"And if I don't get up?" His teeth chattered.

She picked up her gun, voice emotionless. "Nine bullets is all I need. One in each ankle, to keep you from running. One in each knee, because it'll hurt more than you can imagine. One in each hand, to pay you back for every low, despicable thing you've done with them. One in each shoulder, so I can watch you squirm." She cocked the gun. "Thirty seconds after those, a final one in your brain, because I did love you once. I'm not heartless enough to watch even you bleed to death in that kind of agony. Think I won't do it? **Try me**. **Give** me a reason to make you suffer." Her eyes hardened. "You have exactly three seconds. Make your decision or start praying."

"F-fine. I'll get up."

Expressionless, she laid the gun back on the table, flicking the safety on.

He laughed nervously. "Towers would be proud to see this."

She charged Lucas as he stood, but Shadow appeared in her path, looped an arm around her waist, spun her around, and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tighter as she started to shake, but she didn't try to break free.

"I don't know how you got in here, but coming to her without backup was a stupid move. I saved you once; consider yourself lucky. Next time, I'll let her kill you."

Lucas, still shaking, scurried from the room.

"You shouldn't have interfered. He had a chance."

"No, he didn't; not against you. And it wouldn't have helped you in the long run. You would be taking his life for revenge. Not for justice."

"Either way works for me. And from what I know of your recent past, you haven't got a whole lot of room to start telling me about justice being better than revenge." She slid out of his hold, strapping her equipment back on. "So how long were you listening?"

"What makes you think-"

"Playing dumb is the same as calling me stupid. You know now I would have been killing, at least partially, for revenge, but you didn't know anything about me before today. There's no way you would have found that out without overhearing our conversation; almost everyone else who knows my story is dead or missing. Not to mention the fact that you appeared right before I killed him. So you **were** listening. How long?"

"You can't intimidate me."

"Not trying to. Lucas has brought out **Agent** Maraya Alder, and it's good to be back." She laughed shortly. "I guess I can finally thank him for something. It'll be different for you, though. You'll hate him almost as much as I do." She winked, straight-faced. "No hard feelings for the trouble I'm about to cause, though, right? Just doing my job. Wonder if G.U.N. is still paying me..."

Shadow stared, silent again.

"So, you came down here?"

"Yeah, the Doctor contacted me. We'll be leaving shortly."

"So now is when I try to figure out where we are. Since we're leaving and all." She smirked. "One day, I'm gonna write a book. I Spy: The Complete Guide on Breaking the Law to Bust the Law Breakers. Hmph. Long title. Never get it published." She darted from the room.

Shadow stood still a second, stunned that she'd left. But, recovering quickly, he ran after her.

* * *

Maraya sped around the corner and inside a stairwell, silently thanking Terell for all of their prank wars. That second was all she'd needed. She slid off her boots, stowing them under the stairs, then grabbed the railing and flipped herself over it to get up quickly.

Below, the door banged open. She saw a flash of black in between the railings and started moving even faster, stopping at the first door.

Locked.

She grimaced, moving higher up.

* * *

"Okay. We've been watching them on satellite, so we know where they're at." Rynn looked at the photos. "Do we know what the building looks like? Inside?"

Raechel nodded. "Standard office building, actually. Two basement floors, ten office floors. Basically a bunch of abandoned cookie cutter rooms. Top's copter accessible."

"So we can get people on top and from the bottom." He paused. "Any way out through the basement?"

"One. How they got in." Raechel stared at the screen. "If her plan had gone right, she could have gotten away on her own."

"We can't focus on that. I can't." He looked away. "I never should have gone."

Raechel bit her lip. "Rynn, you may not like me saying this, but you might want to sit this one out."

His head shot back to her.

"It's just-we don't...he's working for Eggman." She stammered. "If his objective-if Maraya's not really the target-"

"Then why would he take her?"

"She's-if she's part of a bigger picture..." She got up, turning her back to Rynn. "Look...it's been driving me crazy, really. **Why** would he work for **Eggman**? **Why** would he take **her**? If-if she was the target...then there'd be demands made. Of us, of G.U.N., of somebody. They-**he **waited for us, Rynn. He was waiting for something...what exactly, I don't know. But even though he saw us...even though he knows we are trying to get her back...still, nothing. And we know she's alive. There's a plan there, Rynn...and I just can't figure it out, but...you going...it just feels wrong. Ábriel's always told me to trust my instincts, and something's telling me you need to stay here."

"If it was anyone other than my sister, I would probably listen. But I want this guy to pay." He closed his eyes. "She's been hiding something from me, something big. Ábriel won't tell me anything. If he's broken her with this..."

"And if something happens to you, it'll help her with that?" She seemed to realize how confrontational she sounded, shrinking back. "I just don't have a good feeling about this. Give me a day to try and figure out-"

"You're not going to. Until they make a move, we will know as much as we do right now. Maybe they are waiting for something. Maybe only Maraya knows what." He looked back at the screen. "This was my plan. I can't sit out. It's too important."

"Rynn...I didn't mean to-I just...I'm sorry."

"For what?" He asked gently. "You're speaking out of concern for me, like you always have. You don't have to apologize for that."

She twisted her hands. "Rynn, if you go...I'd like to be on site."

"What?"

"You're going to go for Maraya's sake. I want to be there, too." She straightened up. "I know the layout of the building already and there's no one in this agency better to coordinate with than me. You haven't even really told me your plan, but I already know what you're going to do based on your questions and what you're working with." She took a deep breath. "And my people skills are much better. I promise, shy me won't even pop up if I go. I'll make sure of it. She'll go away right now."

"I'm fine with it, but-"

"I'm willing to do what's necessary to help you both. You put conditions on me, we're in trouble from the start." She wanted to take it back, he could tell.

He smirked. "I like this you already."

She relaxed. "It's hard."

He smiled. "I know. It does get better."

Raechel nodded. "I'll be all set whenever you're ready."

"Knowing Maraya, she'll be snooping around a little. We'll give her a day. Terell can go then, too; that should make him happy." He turned to leave. "Three teams. Plus you, me, Terell, and Maraya. Should be more than enough."

"Got it." She turned back to her workstation.

Rynn shook his head, smiling as he left.

* * *

**Whew! Lots of stuff happening! See, things were just spilling out!**

**Okay, I'd like to take a minute(again) to thank all of my readers! Over the past two weeks, my story has gotten 99 Views and 37 Visitors, which is incredible! You guys rock!**

**Please don't be afraid to leave me a review; I'm looking for constructive criticism and honest feedback so I can improve what I write, whether that means fixing a mistake or continuing to do something I'm doing right! I won't beat you for giving me something I requested from you, and I don't bite that hard anyway!**

**Ciao now!**  
**Ry Prower**


	12. Chapter Eleven: Gearing Up

Hey, everyone! It's been a while, huh? I got a new computer monitor and was inspired, hence the new chapter...

I'm gonna switch things up and go(almost) right to the story! :D

Sonic and Co. still belong to SEGA!

* * *

Maraya pulled the door open, shutting it almost silently behind her. It'd taken her all the way up to the fifth floor before she'd gotten one of the doors to open–much too high to jump from, but at least she could figure out where she was. She turned a corner, then stopped, hands on hips. "Cubicles? So an office building. He brought me back to the city." She wondered aloud.

The door to the stairs swung open and she spun into an office.

"Alder, I know you're on this floor. It's the only door in the stairwell that isn't locked." A pause. "Look, don't make this difficult."

She rolled her eyes, silent.

"I have a job to do, just like you did." A pause. "I don't want to hurt you, but you leave me no choice when you put me in positions like this."

She made no response.

Shadow cursed, hitting something. The sound of glass breaking filtered across the floor. "Alder! Get out here, now! Stop...stop..." A frustrated growl cut through the area.

"You have ten seconds to show yourself, or I swear I will beat you senseless when I find you."

_He was baiting her. _Maraya pulled out her gun. _Wasn't he...?_

"Ten..."

That one simple word echoed through her mind, over and over, until a memory surfaced.

* * *

_Flashback_

* * *

"_Ten, eleven, twelve..."_

_Maraya flew through the hallways, counting as she ran. She'd find a spot that Rynn would never think of this time. Maria would be hard to find as it was; she always knew the best places._

_She swung around a corner, crashing into something. She looked up, rubbing her head. Not a something. A some_one_._

"_Sorry about that, I really need to learn to look where I'm going. Good to see you out and about, though!"_

_A smile spread across the hedgehog's face. "You say that every time you run into me."_

_Maraya smiled sheepishly. "It's true, wouldn't you agree?"_

_He laughed, reaching down to help her up. "You could say that. What brings you down here?"_

"_Ready or not, here I come!"_

"_There's your answer." She swung around. "He won't find me before Maria this time. I won't let him."_

"_He will if you don't hurry."_

"_You got that right."_

"_Hey, mind if I join? I've never..." He trailed off._

"_Sure." She cupped her hands to her mouth. "**Olly olly oxen free**!"_

_Rynn came downstairs and Maria popped her head out from the room she'd been hiding in._

"_You can't call that unless you're 'it', Rya." Rynn complained._

"_We have another player, guys!"_

_Rynn grinned. "Fine. He'll be so easy to find."_

"_Nu-uh! He's gonna be better than Maria!"_

"_So I'm only gonna find you?"_

_Maraya stuck her tongue out at him. "Go upstairs and count, goofy."_

_Rynn smirked and ran up the stairs two at a time._

_Maraya giggled. "If you want to win, you should probably go with Maria. I won't be easy to find though!" She yelled, loud enough for Rynn to hear. In response, he started counting louder._

"_I think I'll go with you, then. What's the fun in winning all the time?" He smirked._

_Maria grinned, running off._

"_Sarcasm, huh? Now I'm gonna have to learn some just to keep up with you." She joked, looking around for a spot._

"_Hey, I've got an idea. If you can't hide well-"_

_Maraya shot him a look._

"_You don't have time to fight."_

"_Thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three..."_

_Maraya sighed. "Okay, I'm all ears."_

"_Isn't the rule you have to tag someone before they're out? If he can't catch you, he can't tag you, right?"_

"_So?"_

_He dragged Maraya into a room. "Just swear to me you won't scream. Not a peep."_

"_Okay...?"_

"_Fifty! Ready or not, here I come!" He clomped downstairs. Maraya could hear him opening and closing doors, looking. Their door suddenly opened and Rynn stepped inside. "Rya, you didn't even bother to hide?" He walked closer, but the next thing she knew, she was off the ground and upstairs._

"_How long...have you been able...to do that?" She gasped._

"_You didn't scream. That's good." He laughed. "And I don't know...as long as I can remember, I guess."_

"_It was fun!" She giggled. "Can you do it again?"_

"_Maraya!" Mark stood in the doorway, a look of fear etched into his features. He focused on the hedgehog. "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to go back to your room. Now."_

_The hedgehog set her down on her feet. A look of sadness was soon replaced by resignation as he quietly went back downstairs._

"_Honey," Mark knelt down next to her. "You need to be more careful."_

"_Daddy, we were just playing. I'm ten now. I can make good choices."_

"_You may not like it, but you are going to have to stay away from him. He's dangerous."_

"_Daddy, he's not dangerous-"_

"_I am telling you to stay away from him for your own good. Will you do what I say?"_

_Maraya nodded._

"_That's my girl. Your mom and I will be back in a while. Call Jesse if there are any emergencies." He hugged her before leaving._

* * *

Maraya shook herself. "_Where did that come from? I haven't thought about that in...years..."_

"..one." Shadow's voice told her nothing. Except that, for some reason, he'd been counting slowly.

"Whatever happens next, you brought on yourself, Alder."

She stayed perfectly still, smiling grimly at the irony of becoming better at hiding because of her work.

She heard him bust open doors as he came up the hall, and in a flash, the idea came to her. She waited until she heard him open the door two offices down, then darted into the middle of the cubicles. When he reached the office she'd been hiding in, she made a break for the stairs.

He hadn't seen her. She sighed, relieved, tiptoeing downstairs to where she'd stashed her boots. If she could find where he'd brought her in, she might be able to escape. She looked around. "_Screws are in the vents, and on the inside, so not through there...bottom floor's too far down, so not there either..._" She grinned. "_You're smart, Shadow. The windows are boarded from the inside and easily replaced._"

Maraya dashed to the only window in the corridor, yanking the boards off. She lifted herself up and slithered through the window just before Shadow appeared at the end of the hall.

Before she'd even gotten a few feet away from the building, Shadow appeared right in front of her.

"You just can't play fair, can you?" She sighed.

"I told you. I have a job to do, same as you. Whatever it takes, I'll get it done." He grabbed her arm.

She yanked away almost instantly. "You asked me a question while we were fighting in the base. Why I keep trying to get away from you. It's not that I just want to get out. If it were a matter of ransom, I could wait. Indefinitely. It's because you are trying to get my brother. I have to keep him away from here."

For a moment, he thought he saw tears shining in her eyes, but when she looked up, he realized that he was wrong. She wasn't just desperate. She was determined.

"But I don't have that kind of time." She slammed a fist into his stomach, and he instinctively struck back, knocking her to the asphalt.

He fought with himself, but he wouldn't show her that. "I'm taking you back. How much pain you're in when you get there is up to you."

"Fine, then." Maraya stood up, squaring her shoulders. "We're back to where we started. I hate going in circles."

"You only have yourself to blame."

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, **Shads**."

He grit his teeth. "Know what? I'm not doing this with you again." He lashed out, slamming a pressure point on her neck with the heel of his hand, expressionless as he watched her sink to the pavement.

He hated it. But he had to do what he had to do.

* * *

"I agree with Raechel, and that's what I'm going to tell her." Jasmín leaned back into her chair. "It's a conflict of interest, just like a doctor operating on someone they know. You'll be out trying to get revenge and putting the rest of your men in danger because you're mad about this guy taking your sister."

"And your goal should be just the same as mine. You could have done more in the rescue mission."

"I was busy!"

"Busy trying to save your people. If they can't take care of themselves, then they shouldn't be out in the field!"

"I've already told them that. Perhaps you can give Maraya that memo when she gets back."

Rynn stood, voice cutting. "You watch what you say, **fox**. I don't care whether you like my sister or not, you will not speak about her like that on purpose in front of me."

"I can handle you, Rynn."

"Don't be too sure, Jasmín. You don't want me as an enemy. You're going to want me to watch your back someday."

"Look, Rynn." Jasmín leaned forward in her seat. "You're not a bad guy. But you know that breaking a protocol like this puts more than you and your men in danger. Maraya likes to put herself in the line of fire for everyone. If you don't do this the right way, it may lead to a situation where she has to choose between her own well being and yours. She won't let you get hurt. We are dealing with a rogue G.U.N. agent who had the ability to nearly destroy the world on his own and then, on what can only be described as a whim, save it. He will do whatever he has to to accomplish his goal, and if you get in the way, it may cost you Maraya. Or it may cost Maraya you."

"Don't pretend you care about Maraya. You've hated her from the first moment she walked into this building."

"Maraya and I have our differences. You're right. Maraya's well-being is the least of my concerns. But I have a duty to this agency, and I will do what I signed on to do. And I have no problems with you. That is the only reason I've agreed to help."

Ábriel opened the door, sitting down at her desk. "Well, shall we get started?"

"Certainly. You know my position already. I don't think that he should go."

Ábriel nodded. "Rynn, you know that we don't let agents with attachment to the mission into the field."

"Then why was I notified?"

"Agent Stevens acted on his own. I didn't authorize any contact with you."

"You weren't going to tell me." He responded flatly.

"Not until you'd returned. I didn't think it would last this long."

"But it has."

Ábriel leveled her gaze at him. "Because Terell, who is also emotionally attached to Maraya, disobeyed a direct order out of concern for her safety. At best, it prevented her from having the opportunity to escape when the chance arose. At worst..." She sighed. "Maraya could have suffered a serious injury from the blow to her head. We just don't know."

Rynn looked down.

"You have an even greater attachment. So I'm put in a difficult position, Rynn. We've been in situations before where we had to recover agents, and usually, I can depend on you to be levelheaded and objective about situations. Frankly, your behavior over the past few hours has been erratic, to say the least."

"You got that right." Jasmín scoffed under her breath.

Rynn glared at her.

"I wouldn't normally have any doubts about you. But...I've seen what the desire for revenge can do to people."

"Whether or not I go, that's not going to change."

Jasmín laughed. "So save that impulse, Rynn, and go get the guy outside of this mission."

"You have had plenty of time trying to do it on your own. I want to go on this because I can make sure no one screws up."

"Right. And I'm going because Ry and I decided to make up and be best friends."

"I'm going because I care about someone other then myself."

Jasmín froze, then started shaking with fury.

"Alder!" Ábriel rarely used that tone, but when she did, everyone shut up. Usually.

"Are you seriously telling me that if it was Lucas we were going after, you wouldn't get involved? You wouldn't want to be there to make sure things were wrapped up correctly?"

"That's bull and you know it." Jasmín snapped. "We have protocols, Rynn. Rules. Whether it's your sister or that echidna or the President himself that's involved. Like it or not-"

"Jasmín, hush." Ábriel's eyes were hard. "That is unnecessary. From both of you. Jasmín, it's no secret to me or to anyone else on this base that you don't like Maraya. But you are going to respect her as a colleague and an agent or so help me Chaos I **will **change your rank and make her your babysitter for the rest of my days as your commander."

Jasmín slumped in her chair.

"And Rynn, I understand that it is your sister involved, but Jasmín is right. There are protocols to follow and if you expect to go on **any **missions, then you had better follow them to the letter. If I can't trust you to do that, turn in your badge right now."

He hesitated, but stayed put.

"Good. Now that that's done, we can go on to why we are here." She sighed. "Rynn, I will allow you to go on this mission. But-" she stopped him mid-celebration. "Jasmín will go along to supervise."

"That won't be necessary. Raechel's going. I will be active on this one, but off-site." Jasmín stated.

"Even better. Jasmín, you are dismissed. Please send Raechel in on your way out."

Jasmín left and Raechel soon slipped in. "Yes?"

"You are accompanying him?"

Raechel nodded.

"Then let me be clear. Rynn is allowed to go on this mission. However, he is under your command as are the other teams. He will not attempt to engage Shadow directly if at all possible, by which I mean Shadow must attack him first." She turned to Rynn. "Without deliberate provocation. Finally, I want live video feed of the area. I trust you both, but I do want you both to know that I can see what you're up to." She waved a hand, their cue to leave. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Commander."

"Make no mistake, Rynn. I'm not doing this for Maraya. Or you. This has been a hectic couple of days. You're simply one of the better agents I have."

"I understand. But thanks all the same." He closed the door behind him.

* * *

Eggman strode into the dusty lobby, looking around. "Well, it's certainly not like my base."

"I did what was convenient, Doctor." Shadow said shortly.

"You're quite snippy today. Has Agent Alder been difficult to control?"

"No more than usual."

Eggman sighed. "Well, in a few days, this will all be over. If it takes that long."

"What are you talking about?"

"Word on the street is her dear little brother is mounting a rescue operation. All we'll need to do is isolate and capture him. Exactly like I'd planned."

"This is not what you had planned, Doctor."

"That's not important. You get your information; I get my engineer. That was the end result of my plan. You can't plan for unexpected hazards. I never thought she'd get the opportunity to destroy my base, after all."

"You still want to go through with this?"

"As far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed. I'm fully prepared to keep Rynn Alder detained until he's done what I need him to do. Although it seems that you're not quite as certain as you were the last time we talked."

"I may need more information than you can give me. I'm not even entirely sure your information is worth working for anymore. More questions have come up than what even G.U.N.'s old data can answer." He turned away. "_But I think she can_."

"Shadow...you're not considering walking out, are you?"

He was silent.

"I'm sure it will be what you're looking for. You might find the answers to your questions in what I have to give you. If you back out now, you'll never know what you could have known. And you're not one to walk out on a deal because things got difficult, are you?"

Shadow growled. "I can handle myself."

"Really? It seems to me as though you're trying to convince yourself." Eggman's face was blank. "I did happen to find some information on our Agents Alder."

Shadow stiffened.

Eggman smirked inwardly, pleased his plan was working. "Has the girl made you aware that she herself was at G.U.N. for the last eight years? She's been trained by Towers herself."

Shadow snarled. "So?"

"She's learned from the best. Shadow, this agent has been trained to manipulate people to receive the answers and reactions that she wants. And if she received special training from the head of the agency..." He stopped, sighing dramatically. "My guess is she's been toying with you all this time." He glanced at the black hedgehog.

Shadow stood stiff and straight. He hadn't felt so...so...

Furious. He hadn't been this furious in a long time. She'd gotten him to trust her. To sympathize with her. Less than an hour ago, he'd seriously considered letting her escape. The guilt was gone. She'd pay for her game. She'd pay with another's life.

She'd pay with her brother.

"I'm sorry I had to tell you this."

"No, you're not. You didn't have to tell me, and you chose to."

Eggman was silent.

"I'll finish this, but only on one condition. I don't want to see either Alder again until the brother shows up."

"I believe I can accomplish that." Eggman smirked as Shadow sped from the room.

* * *

_Maraya went back downstairs, going into the hedgehog's room._

"_I thought you promised your dad you were going to stay away from me. It's probably for the best. I'll be leaving soon anyway."_

_She sighed, flinging herself across his bed. "Listening at doors is a really bad habit. You learn things that you shouldn't ever know doing that. Watch, it's gonna get you into trouble someday. And I don't make promises unless I plan to keep them."_

"_How else am I supposed to find anything out? Your parents never talk to me."_

"_I know. I don't like it."_

"_Why do you even care?"_

"_Because you didn't do anything wrong."_

"_Then why do I have to hide?"_

"_There are people who are afraid of you out there...and they think getting rid of you is the way to fix that. Maria doesn't want that to happen. Neither do I."_

"_Maybe they're right."_

_Maraya frowned. "No, they're not. You're not dangerous." She said softly. "I don't want you to leave. I want you and Maria to stay here forever. It's hard...I just met you and you're leaving because people here got scared again. But I just can't figure out why my parents are scared. They've never been afraid of anything."_

"_Everyone's afraid of me."_

_She went over, hugging him tightly. "I'm not. And I never will be."_

"_Really?" His expression became hopeful._

_She held out her pinky and he laughed slightly before grasping it with his own. "That I **can** promise you, Shadow."_

* * *

Maraya gasped, jumping up and clutching her skull. "Solaris, Shadow...is **Maria's** Shadow?"

Clapping came from behind her. She whirled to face Eggman, blinking rapidly.

"You finally figured it out. I knew you would; Lucas told me you were a smart girl. And you said I couldn't trust him."

"What-?"

"Oh, you'll have plenty of time to reminisce back at your own base. You probably remember most of it already."

"What are you talking about?" She put her hands on her hips. "And be forewarned, I almost killed someone today. So you might want to watch what you say since Shadow's not here to save you."

"I think I'll start with an explanation. Best thing, wouldn't you agree?" He didn't wait for a response. "A certain video, narrated by a G.U.N. agent whose name I never caught, found its way into some files I'd lifted from the G.U.N. database. Now, as you know, I have a standing agreement with Shadow that I would give him those files, but I can't possibly allow him to view this particular video. If he found out your role in saving my cousin's life, he would doubtless turn on me and refuse to go through with our deal. And, of course, I have no problem with complying to his request that he no longer interact with you."

Her eyes widened. "He doesn't want to see me?"

Eggman cackled. "You must have done something to spook him, Agent."

"What have you done?" She demanded.

"You think so low-"

"Yes, I do. I will repeat myself **once** more. **What**.** Have**.** You**.** Done**?" She unsheathed her stiletto, deliberately walking closer. "Start talking or I start removing organs."

"I-I haven't done anything." He edged towards the door.

"A stutter? You're nervous, **Doctor**. And I **can** see you moving. Let me guess, Shadow's nowhere near us, is he? You remember a different Maraya, and you're scared. More scared then you've ever been in your life. Because you know this Maraya doesn't have a problem with killing you."

"He...I-" Eggman gulped. "I told him about what I found out about your history at G.U.N."

"The truth?" She asked quietly. "Because you don't know anything about it, Doctor, and he doesn't need to know whatever lies you've told him about my past. I have no regrets anymore. I've left my past-all of it-behind me."

"It's catching up with you now."

Maraya's mouth fell open, and Eggman took advantage of her shock to scuttle out, closing and locking the door.

"He made his request not ten minutes ago. To think, if you'd only figured it out sooner..." He let the sentence hang. "Oh, and to answer your question, your brother's on his way. He'll be trading places with you if all goes right."

Maraya launched herself at the door, hitting it so hard that Eggman jumped at the boom and scurried down the hallway.

"Trust me, things won't! If I ever get my hands on you, consider yourself dead!" Maraya moved away, praying Shadow would change his mind.

Down the hall, crimson eyes glowed in the darkness.

* * *

Rynn looked up from his computer. "What is it?" He froze. "**Tails**?"

"Hi, Rynn." The fox stood awkwardly, hands twisting. "Whatcha working on?"

The hedgehog grinned. "No one's told you yet? I'm getting my sister back."

"Yeah...I already knew. We tried to help get her back before."

Rynn's expression fell. "Really?" He shook his head. "No one told me that."

"Rynn, Maraya called me the day before Shadow took her. She wanted to see me before she went on assignment. When I found out she'd gone missing, I knew I had to help somehow. I tried so hard to find you guys. I can't believe I lost her again without even getting to see her."

Rynn sighed. "You're telling me."

"I want to help again. Eggman has a thing for robots. Your teams are going to need all the help they can get."

"You've changed."

"So have you."

"And yet you're still as smart as ever." Rynn smirked. "We made a great team when we were little. I'm glad we're going to get the chance to work together again. I'll have Raechel send you the coordinates and let you know when we're leaving."

"We're going to get her back, Rynn."

"There's no doubt in my mind. Welcome back, Tails."

* * *

The End!

Not really... :P

So, on to the reviews!

Amicus: *fist pump* YES! :D That's _exactly_ what I wanted! I was afraid I wouldn't make him evil enough!

Nomad: Thanks! :D That's really encouraging!*giggles* Sorry Kelly, we'll need him later. In one piece. xD

* * *

Till next time!

Ry Prower


End file.
